📰 Google and Facebook Must Pay News Outlets for Linking to Articles, Canada Don Tok
🇨🇦💻💰 A new Canadian law don pass wey go make technology companies pay local news outlets if dem dey link to dia articles, na im make di owners of Facebook and Instagram tok say dem go comot news articles from both platforms for di country. 📜💰
Di law, wey dem pass on Thursday, dey part of di plan wey many governments dey do to force big companies like Google and Facebook to pay for news wey dem dey share on top dia platforms — one campaign wey di companies no gree accept since. 🌍📱💻📢
With some conditions, di new Canadian law go make search engines and social media companies enta one bargaining process — and if need be, dem go use binding arbitration to license news content for dia use. 🔍💻🗣️💼
Di law, wey dem call di Online News Act, na copy from one similar law wey Australia don pass two years ago. Dem design am to “enhance fairness for di Canadian digital news marketplace and add to im sustainability,” na im one official summary tok. As of Friday morning, dem no too clear wen di law go start work. 📜🌍🤝
People wey support di law see am as one victory for di news media, as dem dey fight to make up for di reduce advertising money wey dem get, wey dem talk say Silicon Valley companies don collect. “A strong, independent and free press na foundation for our democracy,” na wetin Pablo Rodriguez, di minister of Canadian heritage for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau government, write for Twitter on Thursday. “Di Online News Act go help make sure tech giants negotiate deals wey dey fair and equal wit news organizations.” 🗞️🌍🤝💪
But tech companies no gree wit di law. 💻🚫
Meta, wey be di owner of Facebook and Instagram, don warn lawmakers before say dem go stop to dey provide news on top both platforms for Canadian users if di law pass. Dem tok say na wetin dem wan do now. ❌🗞️
“We don tok many times before say make dem comply with Bill C-18, wey lawmakers don pass today for Parliament, make content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, no dey available for people wey dey use our platforms for Canada,” na im Meta tok for one statement. 🗣️📜🇨🇦
Dem add say di changes wey dey affect news content no go affect other products and services wey dem dey use for fact-checking, social connections and business growth. For one separate statement, one person wey dey represent Google criticize di law say e no go fit work, and dem bin suggest “thoughtful and pragmatic solutions” wey fit make am better. 🤔👥🚀
Google bin don tell Canadian lawmakers for May say di debate wey dem dey do for di law don create “unrealistic expectations” among politicians and news publishers, say dem wan make dem give “unlimited subsidy for Canadian media.” Among di changes wey dem suggest, na to make tech firms pay for “displaying” news content, and no be to link to am. 💡💼💻📰
“As e be now, dem never address any of our concerns,” na wetin di Google person wey be Jenn Crider tok for di statement wey dem drop on Thursday. She no tok wetin di company wan do about the law, and she no want tok more on top di matter. ❌🗣️📜
Different countries don dey fight dis kain battle for years. 🌍🔥
Inside di European Union, countries don try make sure say one copyright directive wey di bloc adopt for 2019, go make Google, Facebook and other platforms pay news organizations for dia content. 🇪🇺💻💰
For Australia, Parliament don pass one law for 2021 wey make Google and Facebook pay for news content wey dey show for dia platforms. Dat time, Google bin appear say dem don give up as dem announce one three-year global agreement wit News Corp to pay for di publisher’s news content. Facebook, on di oda hand, tok say dem go restrict people and publishers from sharing or viewing news links for Australia. 🇦🇺💻📰
Even for di United States, di Justice Department and one group of eight states don sue Google for January, accuse di company say dem dey abuse dia monopoly power for di technology wey dey power online advertising. Di lawsuit na di department’s first antitrust lawsuit against one big tech company under President Biden. 🇺🇸⚖️💼
California self dey threaten to put legal pressure on top tech companies. Dis month, di State Assembly don vote to advance one bill go di State Senate, wey go tax tech companies for distributing news articles. Meta don tok say if di bill become law, dem go “force” remove news from Facebook and Instagram. 🗞️🔥💼🔒
Dis month, Mr. Trudeau, di Canadian prime minister, don suggest say e no dey ready to compromise wit tech companies on top di Online News Act. “Di fact say these internet giants go prefer cut off Canadians’ access to local news instead of pay their fair share, na big problem, and now dem dey use bully tactics to try make dem get wetin dem want,” na im e tell reporters. “E no go work.” 🌍📣🔒
Michael Geist, one law professor for University of Ottawa wey sabi well well about regulations wey concern internet and e-commerce, don talk say all di effort fit backfire. “E go affect smaller and independent media outlets pass, and e go leave di field for sources wey no too good,” na im Professor Geist tok. “Worst of all: e bin dey predictable and fit don avoid am.” 🧐🌍🤝
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📰 Google and Facebook Must Pay News Outlets for Linking to Articles, Canada Don Tok 🇨🇦💻💰
A new Canadian law has passed, which will require technology companies to pay local news outlets when they link to their articles. This has led the owners of Facebook and Instagram to announce that they will remove news articles from both platforms in the country. 📜💰
The law, passed on Thursday, is part of a broader campaign by many governments to compel major companies like Google and Facebook to pay for the news they share on their platforms—a campaign that these companies have been reluctant to accept. 🌍📱💻📢
Under the new Canadian law, search engines and social media companies will enter a bargaining process with news outlets, and if necessary, binding arbitration will be used to license news content for their use. 🔍💻🗣️💼
Named the Online News Act, this law is modeled after a similar legislation that Australia passed two years ago. It aims to “enhance fairness for the Canadian digital news marketplace and contribute to its sustainability,” according to an official summary. As of Friday morning, the exact implementation date of the law remains unclear. 📜🌍🤝
Supporters of the law view it as a victory for the news media, which has been struggling to compensate for the reduced advertising revenue that Silicon Valley companies have accumulated. “A strong, independent, and free press is the foundation of our democracy,” tweeted Pablo Rodriguez, the Minister of Canadian Heritage in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, on Thursday. “The Online News Act will help ensure that tech giants negotiate fair and equitable deals with news organizations.” 🗞️🌍🤝💪
However, tech companies are opposed to the law. 💻🚫
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, had previously warned lawmakers that they would cease providing news on both platforms for Canadian users if the law passed. They have now reiterated their stance. ❌🗞️
“We have repeatedly stated that compliance with Bill C-18, which was passed in Parliament today, means that content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will not be available to people using our platforms in Canada,” Meta stated. 🗣️📜🇨🇦
They added that the changes affecting news content would not impact other products and services used for fact-checking, social connections, and business growth. In a separate statement, a representative from Google criticized the law, stating that it would not work and suggested “thoughtful and pragmatic solutions” to improve it. 🤔👥🚀
In May, Google had informed Canadian lawmakers that the ongoing debate over the law had created “unrealistic expectations” among politicians and news publishers, who were seeking an “unlimited subsidy for Canadian media.” Among the changes they proposed was for tech firms to pay for “displaying” news content rather than linking to it. 💡💼💻📰
“As it stands, none of our concerns have been addressed,” stated Jenn Crider, a Google representative, in the statement released on Thursday. She did not mention what the company intends to do regarding the law and declined to provide further comments. ❌🗣️📜
This battle has been ongoing in various countries for years. 🌍🔥
Within the European Union, countries have sought to ensure that a copyright directive adopted in 2019 will compel Google, Facebook, and other platforms to pay news organizations for their content. 🇪🇺💻💰
In Australia, Parliament passed a law in 2021 that mandates Google and Facebook to pay for news content displayed on their platforms. At that time, Google appeared to give in as they announced a three-year global agreement with News Corp to pay for the publisher’s news content. On the other hand, Facebook stated that they would restrict people and publishers from sharing or viewing news links in Australia. 🇦🇺💻📰
Even in the United States, the Justice Department and a group of eight states filed a lawsuit against Google in January, accusing the company of abusing its monopoly power in online advertising technology. This lawsuit marks the department’s first antitrust case against a major tech company under President Biden. 🇺🇸⚖️💼
California is also threatening to put legal pressure on tech companies. This month, the State Assembly voted to advance a bill to the State Senate that would tax tech companies for distributing news articles. Meta has stated that if the bill becomes law, they will be “forced” to remove news from Facebook and Instagram. 🗞️🔥💼🔒
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada has indicated that he is not willing to compromise with tech companies regarding the Online News Act. “The fact that these internet giants would rather cut off Canadians’ access to local news than pay their fair share is a big problem, and now they’re using bully tactics to try to get what they want,” he told reporters. “It won’t work.” 🌍📣🔒
Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa who is well-versed in internet and e-commerce regulations, has warned that these efforts could backfire. “It may disproportionately impact smaller and independent media outlets, leaving the field to less reputable sources,” Professor Geist stated. “Worst of all, it was predictable and could have been avoided.” 🧐🌍🤝
