(Ottawa) Facebook is already helping media outlets to the tune of 230 million by expanding their audience through the sharing of media content on the social network, the platform’s parent company, Meta, reiterated on Friday in outrage against Bill C -18.
Posted at 2:28 p.m.
This piece of legislation proposed by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals aims to force digital platforms – mainly Google and Facebook – to enter into compensation agreements with press companies for the sharing of their journalistic content.
“Facebook is already helping Canadian publications,” said Meta global policy director Kevin Chan, appearing before the House of Commons heritage committee studying Bill C-18.
He repeated that Meta estimates that links posted on Facebook redirecting to articles generate 1.9 billion clicks per year, which would be the equivalent of 230 million.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FACEBOOK
Meta Global Policy Director Kevin Chan
“In plain terms, we are being forced to pay publishers [de nouvelles] to give them free Facebook marketing,” Chan added.
He further asserted that Bill C-18, if it becomes a reality, will make it more difficult for media to transition to a digital model.
Mr. Chan recalled that Meta is threatening to make it impossible to share media content on its platform if the legislation comes into force.
The elected officials of the heritage committee also heard testimony on Friday from a former president of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Konrad von Finckenstein, who expressed reservations.
The latter said that the implementation of Bill C-18 will pose significant challenges to the CRTC if amendments are not made.
For example, he indicated that he considers the definition of eligible media in the bill to be too vague.
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said he was open to amending C-18 when he appeared before the same committee last week.
Several press companies have already concluded individual agreements, which have remained confidential, with Meta and Google.
The Canadian Press and Meta launched a program in 2020 to provide around ten scholarships per year to young journalists at the start of their career.