Canadian Prime Minister Condemns Meta, Google 'Bullying'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

The bill is designed to force internet giants like Google and Facebook (owned by Meta) to negotiate commercial deals and pay news organizations in Canada. However, US tech companies say the proposals are unsustainable for their businesses.

Google and Facebook have experimented with restricting some users from viewing or sharing news content in Canada this year, and that could be one of the responses from U.S. tech companies if the bill, dubbed the “Online News Act,” becomes law in its current form.

“The fact that these internet giants would rather cut off Canadians’ access to local news than pay fairly is the real problem, and now they are resorting to bullying tactics to try to get their way – that’s not going to work,” Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa on June 7, Reuters reported.

The bill, introduced in April 2022, makes similar provisions to a groundbreaking law passed in Australia in 2021.

Google said the proposed Canadian regulations are stricter than those enacted in Australia and Europe, and proposed several amendments “to align with international standards” to address the company’s concerns.

“We have proposed reasonable and practical solutions that would allow the bill to achieve its intended purpose and increase our investment in Canada’s news ecosystem,” Google spokesperson Shay Purdy said in response to Trudeau’s remarks.

The bill “has a number of serious problems that make it inapplicable to our products and services,” Mr Purdy added.

The bill passed the Canadian House of Commons last December and is now in the country's Senate. The Canadian Senate rarely blocks bills that have passed the House of Commons.

Canada's media industry wants tighter regulations on tech companies to prevent them from squeezing news organizations out of the online advertising market.

“Many internet giants, like Meta, are posting record profits every year, while at the same time, independent news organizations across Canada are struggling,” Trudeau said. “We will continue to ensure that these mega-profits help strengthen our democracy.”

Last week, Meta said the bill was fundamentally flawed. Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s company said news had no economic value to its platforms.

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