Canadian media outlets face a significant setback as Google’s recent announcement reveals its plan to remove news generated in Canada from its Search, News, and other platforms.
This action comes in response to the enactment of controversial legislation by the Ottawa government.
The Online News Act, which recently became law, is deemed “unworkable” by Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs for Google and Alphabet. Consequently, Google has informed the Canadian government that once the law takes effect, it will be compelled to remove links to Canadian news from its Search, News, and Discover products in Canada.
Additionally, Google will review its agreements with nearly 150 Canadian publications under the Google News Showcase.
“We regret that it has come to this decision and acknowledge its significant impact. It is crucial for us to maintain transparency with Canadian publishers and our users at the earliest opportunity,” stated Walker in a Google post.
Meta (formerly Facebook) also made a similar announcement last week, stating its intention to remove Canadian news content from its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. Meta has initiated the cancellation of existing agreements with Canadian news outlets.
The main point of contention for these tech giants is the legislation’s requirement for payment in exchange for displaying links to news content on their platforms. The statement from Google emphasizes that the “unprecedented decision to put a price on links (referred to as a ‘link tax’) creates uncertainty for our products and exposes us to uncapped financial liability simply for facilitating Canadians’ access to news from Canadian publishers.”
Ottawa shows no signs of compromise. In response to Google’s announcement, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez tweeted, “Instead of paying a small share of the billions they make in advertising dollars, the big tech would rather spend money modifying their platforms to block news from Canadians. Canadians won’t be intimidated. Big tech is not bigger than Canada.”
Critics of the legislation had previously warned about such a consequence. Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, expressed his concerns on Twitter, squarely placing the blame on Rodriguez for not taking the “risks” of the “flawed” legislation seriously.
However, there remains a possibility for dialogue, as Google has expressed its willingness to engage in discussions while the government finalizes a regulatory framework to implement the provisions of the act. “We hope that the government can present a feasible way forward,” stated Google.
