(OTTAWA) Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez will introduce legislation on Tuesday to force digital giants to compensate Canadian media for the reuse of their news content.
Posted at 9:34 a.m.
The bill is expected to be inspired by an Australian law requiring tech companies such as Google to pay for news content on their platforms.
Rodriguez has previously said the bill is a priority and will help support Canada’s media industry and tackle fake news circulating on the internet.
The Online News Act will create a framework for professional media to collectively negotiate compensation agreements with online platforms.
Rodriguez said that over the past 15 years, about 450 Canadian news outlets have shut down, with the bulk of ad revenue going to big digital companies.
Speaking at a virtual conference in February, the minister said the bill in the pipeline would help preserve Canada’s independent media, which he said is “in crisis.”