Last Update: June 30, 2023, 02:24 AM IST
Google has argued that Canada’s law is broader than that of Australia and Europe, saying it puts a price on news story links displayed in search results.
Google joins Facebook in announcing the end of news access for Canadian users on its platform after the Online News Act is passed
Google will remove links to Canadian news from search results and other products in Canada when a law requiring the Internet giant to pay news publishers goes into effect, the Alphabet-owned company said Thursday.
Google has joined Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc in announcing it will end news access for Canadian users of its platform, after Bill C-18, or the Online News Act, passed into law last week.
The law is expected to come into effect in six months.
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who introduced the bill last year, has said the platforms have no immediate obligations under the act and the government is ready to consult with them on the regulatory and implementation process.
Canada’s media industry has called for tighter regulation of tech companies to prevent news businesses from being forced out of the online advertising market.
“We have now notified the government that when the legislation takes effect, we will unfortunately have to remove links to Canadian news from our Search, News and Discover products in Canada,” Google said in a blog post.
It added, “We do not take this decision or its implications lightly and believe it is important to be transparent with Canadian publishers and our users as soon as possible.”
The act outlines rules to force platforms like Facebook and Google to negotiate commercial deals and force news publishers to pay for their content, a move similar to an unprecedented law passed in Australia in 2021.
US technology companies have said these proposals are not sustainable for their businesses. Google has argued that Canada’s law is broader than that of Australia and Europe, saying it imposes a price on news story links displayed in search results and may apply to outlets that do not make news.
The search engine giant had proposed that the bill be amended to make payment based on the display of news content rather than links, and specify that only businesses that create news and adhere to journalistic standards can pay. They are eligible.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – reuters,
