Google set to remove news links in Canada over online news law

The tech giant plans to remove news links from its search engine, Google News and Google Discover for only Canadian publishers and readers.

Canadian users will still be able to search for news content from international outlets such as BBC, New York Times and Fox News.

The company said it will also end Google News Showcase in Canada, a product it uses to license news from over 150 local publishers. Those existing deals will stay in place until the change happens later this year.

“Once the law takes effect, we wouldn’t anticipate continuing the agreements,” said Kent Walker, president of global affairs for Google and its parent company Alphabet, in an interview Thursday.

“We won’t have a news product to be able to feature, (and) the agreements are premised on the ability to showcase Canadian news.”

Google did not say exactly when the changes will happen, but it will be before the law comes into force. The law passed last week and will come into effect by the end of the year.

Walker said he wrote a letter to Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez early Thursday morning to inform him and his team of the decision.

Rodriguez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Walker said Google has begun briefing federal, provincial and regional authorities “just to make sure they’re aware of all the Google tools at their disposal to get the word out as they need to for crisis response, (and) forecasting other circumstances.”

He said Google will continue to create resources for government agencies to get the word out during times of crisis.

“We want to stress this change won’t affect the SOS alerts we use to surface safety information during crisis situations, like the fires (in Canada) or floods or earthquakes,” Walker said.

Meta announced last week it will also be removing news in Canada from its Facebook and Instagram platforms before the law is in force.

It is already running a test to block news for up to five per cent of its Canadian users.

Meta is also ending existing deals with local publishers, including the contract for a fellowship program that supports the hiring of a limited number of emerging journalists at newswire service The Canadian Press.

The Online News Act requires both companies to enter into agreements with news publishers to pay them for news content that appears on their sites if it helps them generate money.

The act aims to create new government oversight for digital giants who dominate the online advertising market.

The Liberal government views Meta and Google’s dominance on the internet, and their decision to remove news, as a threat to Canadian democracy at a time when the news industry continues to face cuts due to declining ad revenue.

Since 2008, nearly 500 newsrooms have closed across the country, Rodriguez said.

Walker said the law is unworkable because it puts a price on links, resulting in an uncapped financial liability “that no business could accept.”

“I think we need clear financial expectations, and we need a clear and realistic path toward exemption that takes into account our commercial agreements and the other support we provide for news in Canada,” Walker said.

While the bill was being debated in Parliament, Google called for lawmakers to consider alternative ways to support news, such as creating a fund for journalists.

Google had also been seeking assurances about how much the changes could cost them, and how the bargaining process will unfold. Those details are likely to become clear after the bill’s regulatory process is complete.

News Media Canada, which advocates for the news industry, said this is a time for all stakeholders to “act in good faith” and engage in the regulatory process.

“We believe there is a viable path forward,” said Paul Deegan, the group’s president and CEO, in a statement.

Earlier this week, Rodriguez told The Canadian Press he is hopeful the government will come to a positive resolution with both companies to prevent them from removing news.

Rodriguez also said the government will continue to support newsrooms, though he did not say exactly how that will be done.

“The effort to find a solution feels genuine, but unfortunately we don’t have the assurances we need to create financial certainty or product certainty, but we do hope that changes,” Walker said.

“We hope the government can work through the details. It’s their bill, they know it best, so we’ll have to wait and see how the regulatory process unfolds, what the government comes forward with, and see if there’s a satisfactory outcome.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2023.