WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th June, 2023) Google will be removing links to Canadian news from its search engine once Bill C-18 - the Online News Act - becomes effective, Google & Alphabet Global Affairs President Kent Walker said on Thursday.
On June 22, Bill C-18 - the Online News Act - received royal ascent. The measure seeks to compensate Canadian media news organizations for using their content on social media, most notably on Google and Meta (banned in Russia as an extremist organization).
Both companies have long rejected the legislation and threatened to block access to content from news outlets in Canada, including news publishers and broadcasters, by individuals who use the social media platforms there in order to comply with the legislation.
"Bill C-18 has become law and remains unworkable. The Government has not given us reason to believe that the regulatory process will be able to resolve structural issues with the legislation. As a result, we have informed the Government that we have made the difficult decision that when the law takes effect, we will be removing links to Canadian news from our Search, News, and Discover products and will no longer be able to operate Google News Showcase in Canada," Walker's statement said.
Walker called the decision to impose a "link tax" on Google and Meta "unprecedented", adding that it creates uncertainty for the company's products and exposes them to financial liability for allowing Canadians to access local news.
While expressing discontent, Walker noted that only last year Google linked Canadian news 3.6 billion without charges, helping publishers to generate revenues from ads and subscriptions worth C$250 million ($188 million).
He further noted that Google would be taking part in the regulatory process and continue their policy of transparency towards Canadians and publishers while also hoping that the Canadian government will outline a "viable" path forward.
On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said negotiations were ongoing with Google and noted the importance of allowing Canadians access to news content while also ensuring rigorous journalistic standards necessary for the country's democracy.
