Canada May Force Online Giants to Pay News Publishers

Canada is looking to follow in Australia’s example, forcing online giants to pay news publishers in exchange for their content.

News publishers and online giants, such as Google and Facebook, have fought against paying traditional news publishers for their content when they link to it. The tech companies have maintained that news publishers gain more than they do just from being linked to, but news publishers have disputed those claims.

Australia recently passed legislation to force Google and Facebook to pay publishers for news, leading to a short-lived standoff when Facebook refused, before eventually capitulating. Canada seems to be going down the same road, introducing legislation that would force the companies to pay news publishers for the content they use, according to CBC.

“The news sector is in crisis,” Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez told a press conference Tuesday. “Traditionally, advertising has been a major source of revenue for the news business. That’s less and less the case. I would say the reality is grim.”

“News outlets and journalists must receive fair compensation for their work,” Rodriguez continued. “It shouldn’t be free.”

Given the precedent Australia has established of forcing tech giants to comply, it’s likely Canada will also succeed.