Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing no interest in compromising with Meta and Google over a proposed law that would make them pay for Canadian journalism that helps tech companies generate revenue.
Google Canada has told senators that it would be reasonable to reconsider whether it shares links to news sites if the government's online news bill becomes law, but it is not promising to block them.
Google and Facebook raked in 80 per cent of the $12.3 billion in online advertising revenue in Canada in 2021, twice the revenue for the broadcast television and newspaper sectors combined.
Canadians would no longer be able to access news on Facebook or Instagram if the federal government's proposed Online News Act passes in its current form, the parent company behind the two popular social media platforms said.
Advocates for the print and digital media industry are pushing back against Google, which they believe is bullying Canadians by limiting access to online news as part of a fight with Ottawa.
Federal Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez accused Meta on Thursday, December 15, 2022, of trying to intimidate Canadians with threats of pulling news content from its Facebook platform, following the adoption of Bill C-18 in the House of Commons.
The House of Commons passed a Liberal bill on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, designed to require web giants to compensate journalism outfits for reposting their content, and Meta is once again threatening to remove news content from Facebook in Canada.
Google is raising "serious" concerns about a Liberal bill that seeks to require tech giants to pay media outlets in exchange for putting their news content online.