Despite positive signals from Justin Trudeau yesterday, Google partners with Meta and announces it will censor all links to Canadian and Quebec media from its search results, a blow to the federal government and professional journalism.
• Also read: Meta will terminate all of its agreements with Canadian media
Google users will no longer see this news on Search, News and Discover, as well as the Google News Showcase in Canada “once the law goes into effect,” said Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, in a blog post posted Thursday.
Listen to Marie Montpetit’s LCN segment about QUB radio:
“The Government has given us no reason to believe that the regulatory process can solve the structural problems of the legislation,” Mr Walker continues, saying he is “disappointed to have come this far”.
Just yesterday, Justin Trudeau said at a press conference “that we continue to have good discussions with Google”.
Listen to the interview of the moderator of the podcast “Mon Carnet” by Bruno Guglielminetti:
Google and Meta (owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) are at war with Ottawa over the Online News Act, which will force them to share some of the revenue from journalistic content.
After months of explicit threats and “tests,” the powerful multinationals went on the offensive after the bill finally passed the Senate last week.
In addition to Google, the agreements Meta has with The Canadian Press, Le Devoir, the Coops de l’information, the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail will also end in the near future, the QMI Agency has learned.
- Listen to the Gagnon-Montpetit meeting with Karine Gagnon, Deputy Information Director of the quebec newspaper, on the microphone by Marie Montpetit via QUB radio:
Malcolm Kirk, president of The Canadian Press, wrote a memo to staff on Thursday saying the current cohort of meta-scientists would be the last.
“We must carefully analyze the other financial and operational implications of the abrupt end of this program. We’ll keep you posted,” he said.
A Meta spokesman said the company would not comment at this time.
The President of the Quebec Journalists’ Association (FPJQ), Michaël Nguyen, urges the government not to “bow down” to this new “buzziness towards democracy” through “quasi-monopolies”.
A Google Canada representative, who aligns with TVA Nouvelles, says Bill C-18 is unfeasible for the American conglomerate.
“Bill C-18 has passed and remains unenforceable. The government has given us no reason to believe that the regulatory process can solve the structural problems of the legislation. As a result, we have informed the government that we have made the extremely difficult decision to suspend the inclusion of Canadian news links in our Search, News and Discover products in Canada.
Called for a response, Canada’s Heritage Minister regretted that Google, but also Meta, acted in this way.
“All options are on the table. Personally, I remain optimistic about continuing talks with Google, but you did it, we can’t have multinationals because they’re big, because they’re strong, because they have big lawyers who come to our house and tell us what to do and come and intimidate the Quebecers and Canadians and come and say, ‘Okay, you other MPs, you were elected by the people, but that doesn’t matter, we’re the ones in charge ‘ denounced Minister Pablo Rodriguez in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.
The Bloc Québécois and the NDP have called on Ottawa to retaliate and stop buying advertising on these platforms. The federal government bought $11.4 million worth of ads from Meta and $8.7 million from Google in 2021-2022. In Quebec, the Parti Québécois is demanding that Quebec do the same.
Canadian cyberlaw expert Michael Geist has been a lawbreaker from the start, saying Minister Pablo Rodriguez made an “own goal” with legislation “that has successfully deprived the industry of millions of pieces of information, leaving everyone in a much worse position than if they had.” they would have done “had done nothing at all”.
“Said”
“These companies obviously want to maintain their near-total dominance on the internet, and while that may be beneficial to their shareholders, it’s certainly not in the public interest.”
– Michaël Nguyen, President of the Quebec Journalists Association (FPJQ)
Honestly, who do they think they are, these people? These intimidation tactics are shameful. Like it or not, it’s time these billionaires paid their fair share.”
– Alexandre Boulerice, Vice President of the NDP
“We’re in the middle of an arm wrestling game where Meta and Google have decided to play the big guns […]. We call on the government not to bend its back in front of these multinational corporations and express our full support in this direction.
– Martin Champoux, spokesman for the Bloc Québécois for heritage
In collaboration with Patrick Bellerose
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