(Ottawa) Google is writing to every MP and senator in Ottawa reminding them of its fears that the online news bill will be rammed through Parliament without proper debate.
Posted yesterday at 6:16 p.m.
In its letter, Google argues that the bill should be carefully considered because of its far-reaching implications, including how the search engine ranks content and elevates information from trusted sources, such as those issued by the government.
Bill C-18 aims to support Canada’s information sector. It would make online platforms like Google and Meta pay news media for the reuse of their journalistic content.
In its letter, the web giant says it agrees with the bill’s goal of supporting journalism, including financially and through regulations. But Google says the bill has major flaws.
The company lists a list of “false beliefs” about how the law will work and warns lawmakers that the law’s current wording could force Google to subsidize foreign state media outlets.
According to the web giant, the definition of “qualifying press enterprise” would be too broad and could include state media even if these publications are recognized as tools of propaganda and disinformation.
To these criticisms, the spokeswoman for Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, Laura Scaffidi, replied that the online news bill is “critical” to ensure that “web giants pay Canadian publishers and journalists for their work.
The government has put this bill on the fast track by limiting the duration of the debates, but it must still be studied in committee and be the subject of discussions between elected officials and expert witnesses before its adoption.
Despite all this, the Conservative House leader, John Brassard, accused the Liberal government of wanting to restrict the examination of the bill by MPs, by sending it quickly for study in committee, with only a few hours of debate.
“I am deeply disappointed that they are limiting debate on such a contentious bill that requires so much work,” he said. What they are doing is simply bypassing the House of Commons. We only had two hours of debate on C-18 and, as the official opposition, we only had one speaker. »
Google spokeswoman Lauren Skelly pointed out that, “Getting it right is far more important than getting it done quickly.”
Ella added that Google approached lawmakers because it considered it important that they “know our position.”
Paul Deegan, of News Media Canada, which represents the country’s media industry, reiterated the importance of studying the bill in committee “without delay” since it will help all media companies, small or large, such as we saw it after the adoption of a similar law in Australia.
Meta funds a scholarship that supports journalistic jobs at The Canadian Press.