(Ottawa) Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez is calling on all members of the House of Commons to speak with one voice in condemning the threats of web giants to cut off Internet users’ access to their services if the government adopts certain legislative measures.
In the eyes of the minister, these threats brandished by web giants like Google and Meta are all the more unacceptable in that they constitute a frontal attack against “our democracy”.
The minister took advantage of his appearance before the House of Commons heritage committee on Monday to denounce with even more vigor Google’s decision to prevent certain Canadian users from viewing news content to demonstrate his opposition to the project. Bill C-18 on the Trudeau government’s online news.
This bill, which was passed in the Commons in the spring and is currently being studied in the Senate, aims to force the digital giants to negotiate agreements that would compensate Canadian media for the republication of their content on their platforms.
“There are actions that are taken that are unacceptable and that also show a great deal of arrogance. It is not because they are fat, because they are rich that that gives them the right to come here to intimidate us, the Government of Canada or the opposition or in the Senate. That does not give them the right to come and tell us what to do with our democracy and what to do with our laws,” said Minister Rodriguez.
“This must be unacceptable to everyone, regardless of the color of our party, here or in the Senate. We go into politics because we believe in democracy. It’s because we have the privilege of representing the people who vote,” he said.
Mr. Rodriguez, who was challenged on this subject by Bloc Québécois MP Martin Champoux and Liberal MP Chris Bittle, went on to say that he had never acted under threat. “And I never will,” he added as a warning.
In February, Google decided to limit access to online news content to less than 4% of its Canadian users of its products, including its popular search engine and Discover function on Android devices that broadcast news and sports reports.
The US company said all types of news content are affected by the test, which will last about five weeks, including content created by Canadian broadcasters and newspapers.
Angered to the hilt by this decision, the members of the heritage committee summoned the Canadian representatives of Google in March. Google Canada Vice President and Country Director Sabrina Geremia and Google Canada Director of Public Policy and Government Relations Jason J. Kee said the company should stop blocking links to articles about Google Canada. news on March 16.
In front of skeptical elected officials, they then defended themselves from cutting off access to news to 4% of their users in Canada, claiming that these maneuvers were in fact “only tests”.
Jason J. Kee had however admitted that these tests were carried out in anticipation of the application of Bill C-18.
Testifying in early May before the same committee, Canadian Facebook officials also said the company will block news content in Canada if the bill is passed by Parliament.
“To comply, we must either operate in an imperfect regulatory environment or end news content in Canada. It is therefore with a heavy heart that we are opting for this last solution, ”said Kevin Chan, director of global policies at Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
According to Minister Rodriguez, these web giants are behaving in an unacceptable manner. “Such gestures are a threat to our democracy,” declared the minister on Monday, recalling in passing that other countries have resisted the threats of these companies, in particular Australia.
“Australia preceded us with measures. Americans on both sides of the house are discussing this right now. France, England, Europe are studying this too. So, we will have to find a way to work with these web giants”.