Google raises ‘serious’ concerns over bill that would force pay for news
Global News
Bill C-18 would create a framework within which ``digital news intermediaries,'' or major online platforms, must negotiate deals with eligible news media.
Google is raising “serious” concerns about a Liberal bill that seeks to require tech giants to pay media outlets in exchange for putting their news content online.
Bill C-18, which the government introduced in the spring, would create a framework within which “digital news intermediaries,” or major online platforms, must negotiate deals with eligible news media.
News organizations have largely hailed the bill, which is similar to a law passed in Australia last year, though some have raised concerns about the criteria used to determine which outlets are eligible.
Colin McKay, Google Canada’s head of public policy and government relations, told a House of Commons committee Tuesday that the bill as it is currently written could unintentionally elevate misinformation and propaganda.
McKay said a provision in the bill that would keep platforms from giving “undue preference” to certain news outlets would prevent Google from elevating “trusted information sources” over lower-quality content.
In other countries, such as Germany, “bad actors” have “gamed and misused” similar provisions, he said, adding that the company plans to propose specific amendments to the committee.
McKay also argued that the structure of the bill serves to benefit larger organizations over smaller ones and could incentivize the production of clickbait, saying that Google’s understanding is that the number of links appearing on its search engine would affect compensation for news outlets.
He insisted that the company shares the legislation’s goal to support “a sustainable future for journalism and the news” in Canada.
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