Canada’s new law requires internet giants to pay for news displayed on their platforms.
Google’s decision will make news more difficult to access. Illustration picture. Igor Stevanovic / Alamy Stock Photo
Internet giant Google decided to stop showing news to Canadians. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is also planning to do the same.
– This makes it difficult for Canadians to access online news and for journalists to reach their audience, Google said in its blog.
With Google’s decision, the content of Canadian news media can no longer be accessed through their search engines or news services.
New law in the background
Google made its decision after a new law came into force in the country, which requires technology companies to pay for displaying news content. In the future, technology companies will be required to enter into a commercial agreement with the news media visible on the platforms.
Meta and Google have been accused in Canada of undermining the media’s position and income by distributing news content for free. The new law has been developed to help the news media.
– The loss of revenue for Canadian news agencies is not just a problem for journalists, it’s a problem for the whole country, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland stated.
Freeland is also a former journalist.
A similar ban in Australia
Canada’s parliamentary budget authority has estimated that, with the law, the news media’s income from digital platforms would increase in total by approximately 330 million Canadian dollars (230 million euros) annually.
The law is based on the media regulation made in Australia (New Media Bargaining Code), which is the first in the world to oblige internet giants to pay for news content on their platforms.
This was reported by news agency AFP.