Canada introduces law to compensate Internet giants for press

According to government figures, More than 450 media in the country They have closed their doors since 2008, when at least one-third of Canadian journalism work disappeared. According to Radio Canada.

Parliamentary proposal According to the newspaper El PaísFocuses primarily on Facebook and Google, and is inspired by the approved framework Australia in 2021.

The rule said This helps to offset the advertising revenue that the media does not receive And it falls Social media And other sites.

Sites Negotiate with the media for a maximum of 12 months and on a voluntary basis. Agreements that take into account the criteria set by CRTC, such as the criteria for ensuring freedom and freedom of expression, as well as support for the production of local and national news with inclusiveness to different groups of the population.

If both parties do not reach an agreement or fail to meet the established criteria, the CRTC may establish mandatory negotiations and, in the latter case, act as an arbitrator to select the most convenient scheme.

In Australia, step Australian Competition and Consumer CommissionAlready paid $ 190 million to Australian media companies Since the model was enacted last year. The big winners are the traditional media.

According to data from Ministry of Heritage of Canada, About 450 outlets in the country have had to close since 2008. Online advertising grossed about $ 9.7 billion (approximately $ 7.75 billion) in the country by 2020; Google and Facebook account for 80% of the total.

For the new Canadian project Facebook, Google and other digital sites should have the benefit of bargaining parity with news organizations, Be fair to non-Canadian newspapers, news magazines, online news organizations, private and public broadcasters and some news outlets. Meets specific criteria.

The loss of advertising revenue has shattered previous media business models. Thousands of Canadian journalists have lost their jobs And some communities have become news deserts, with no access to newspapers, digital news sites, television or radio programs.

The Canadian Minister of Heritage Pablo Rodriguez, According to a Canadian radio station They should be compensated for helping Google and Facebook In order to attract the attention of the public on those sites.

Google and Facebook use news media-generated news content on their sites that do not actually pay for it, Rodriguez pointed out.

Rodriguez also hosted the show As a way Fight the latest wave of misinformation From questionable sources. The fact-based news industry is allowing other, less credible sales outlets to emerge, which could lead to more general mistrust and damaging misinformation in our community, he said.

When Australia imposed a similar rule, it vehemently opposed paying for messages used by Google. His irritation reached a point where he threatened to close access to the search engine in the country if the bill was approved. Finally, Google repented and The bond reached an agreement with various media companies to avoid the arbitration process.

Google maintains that its current model is reasonable for publishers because its search engine enables significant traffic to media sites.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Google said it was carefully reviewing the law to understand its implications.

The seeker, though It has already reached 11 deals with the Canadian media. Since they are confidential agreements, the amount and details of these agreements are unknown. However, the government’s initiative may force them to submit a review. Pablo Rodriguez stressed that the fundamental issue of this legislative plan was “transparency”..

Facebook has signed deals with 18 Canadian media outlets for advertising, including newspapers. The Globe and Mail And Toronto StarSome of the most visited in the country.