Google has reached an agreement with the Canadian government regarding a law that mandates tech companies to pay for news content. The deal involves Google committing to contribute C$100 million ($74 million) annually, indexed to inflation, to support a variety of news businesses in Canada. This comes after months of negotiations and strong opposition from both Google and Meta Platforms Inc.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s government introduced the Online News Act, also known as Bill C-18, with the aim of compelling tech giants like Meta and Google to pay local publishers for featuring news content on their platforms.
This legislative seeks to boost an industry that has been struggling with losses in advertising revenue. The agreement with Google is seen as a way to avert the news block that was expected to hit Canada next month on the world’s most popular search engine.
Meta had already taken a measure by blocking all links to news content in Canada on Facebook and Instagram since August, avoiding the obligation to make payments.
Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, in a statement, revealed that Google’s commitment to contributing C$100 million annually is a positive development for the news sector in Canada.
The deal includes financial support for a wide range of news businesses, including independent news entities and those from Indigenous and official-language minority communities.
St-Onge addressed the flexibility of the agreement, stating, “If there is a better deal struck elsewhere in the world, Canada reserves the right to reopen the regulation.”
This clause reflects the nature of negotiations and the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable terms for its news industry.
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Trudeau expressed satisfaction with Google’s decision, stating, “Google has agreed to properly support journalists, including local journalism.” However, he criticized Meta for “completely abdicating any responsibility towards democratic institutions.”
This points to the ongoing tension between tech companies and governments regarding the role and responsibilities of these platforms in shaping public discourse.
The Online News Act, passed in late June, received backlash from tech companies, with both Meta and Alphabet expressing strong opposition.
Meta responded by blocking news content in Canada on its platforms, while Google initially threatened to remove news from search results before the law’s scheduled on December 19.
The regulatory for tech companies is changing globally, with governments seeking to address the dynamics and revenue-sharing models between these companies and traditional news publishers.
In the case of Canada, the government’s stance in passing the Online News Act reflects a commitment to supporting the struggling news industry.
Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google and Alphabet, expressed gratitude to Minister St-Onge and affirmed that Alphabet would continue directing valuable traffic to Canadian publishers.
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This signals Google’s acknowledgment of its role in supporting the journalism ecosystem, even as it navigates regulatory challenges.
Earlier this year in response to Meta’s stance the Canadian government had announced it would stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram. This was part of a response to the tech giant’s decision to block news content.
The clash between governments and tech companies over the regulation of news content and advertising revenue has become a recurring theme globally.
Meta’s actions in Canada mirrored its approach in Australia in 2021 when it briefly blocked news from its platform in response to legislation compelling tech companies to pay publishers for using their news stories. However, in both instances, negotiations led to agreements with publishers.
Trudeau believes that the deal will have implications, stating that it will resonate globally as countries struggle with similar challenges in their media industry.
The nature of these negotiations underlines the need for flexible regulatory frameworks that balance the interests of tech companies, news publishers, and the public.
As Canada finalizes the rules associated with the Online News Act, the tech industry will be closely watching how this regulatory experiment unfolds.
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