The Provincial Communications Sector Council (CPSC) is calling on the federal government to halt all advertising purchases from Google, META and their affiliates, if they stop relaying news from the media.
Since the passage of Bill C-18, internet giants have threatened to block media news.
“These web giants act like bullies, real bullies! They’ve been making billions in profits using news media content for years and now that our elected officials are saying enough is enough, that they now have to share their advertising revenue with our local media, they’re stopping their partnerships with La Canadian Press and various newspapers,” said CPSC President Tulsa Valin-Landry in a statement.
The CPSC recalled that in 2021-2022, Ottawa spent more than $64 million on digital advertising, which would represent more than half of its total advertising investments. Of this sum, $20 million would have been paid to Google, Facebook and Instagram.
“We must stop rewarding these multinationals which literally attack our democracy,” said the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)-Québec, Patrick Gloutney.