Google plans to eliminate Canadian news links due to journalism bill.
Google Takes Stand Against Canadian Legislation, Restricts Access to News Outlets
In a bold move, Google has announced that it will no longer share links to Canadian news outlets as a form of protest against new legislation. The Online News Act, also known as C-18, recently passed in Canada’s legislative body, and it requires tech companies like Google to share profits with news outlets. In response, Google has decided to remove links to Canadian news from its Search, News, and Discover products in Canada.
This decision by Google follows in the footsteps of Facebook, which has also expressed its opposition to the bill. The move by these tech giants could serve as a glimpse into how they might respond if the similarly-written Journalism Competition and Preservation Act is passed by Congress.
Unprecedented Law Creates Uncertainty
“C-18 is an unprecedented law that creates a link tax — a price on web links — and creates an untenable level of product and financial uncertainty that no business could accept,” stated Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs.
While Google has not yet announced a specific date for implementing these restrictions, it is expected to align with the effective date of C-18, which will occur within the next 180 days after a regulatory review. However, non-Canadian users will still be able to access Canadian news outlets through Google Search.
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has also expressed its intention to restrict access to news in protest of C-18. However, Canadian leadership seems unfazed by Meta’s threat, and it remains to be seen how they will respond to Google’s actions.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Congress is considering the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, which bears similarities to the Canadian legislation. Meta has already made similar threats in response to this bill. Although the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the bill, it is expected to face resistance in the House.
It is worth noting that Meta previously banned the sharing and viewing of news stories in Australia after the country passed a law requiring the company to pay news outlets for their content. However, this ban was reversed shortly after international pressure.
As the battle between tech giants and news outlets continues, the future of online news distribution remains uncertain.
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