Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Meta and Google are using “bullying tactics” in response to the Online News Act.
Known as Bill C-18, the act would force internet giants like Google and Meta to pay Canadian publishers for posting news on their platforms.
Both companies have been long been vocal against the bill and are actively testing ways to respond if it becomes law.
Back in February, Google confirmed it blocked some Canadians from accessing news content under testing. More recently, Meta has taken similar measures blocking some from accessing news content on Facebook and Instagram.
“The fact that these internet giants would rather cut off Canadians’ access to local news than pay their fair share is a real problem, and now they’re resorting to bullying tactics to try and get their way – it’s not going to work,” Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
In response to Trudeau’s comments, Google spokesperson Shay Purdy told Reuters the bill has a number of issues.
“We’ve come to the table with reasonable and pragmatic solutions that would make the bill work the way it’s intended to and increase our investments in the Canadian news ecosystem.”
Meta previously responded to its actions, calling the bill a “fundamentally flawed legislation that ignores the realities of how our platforms work.”
Image credit: @JustinTrudeau/Twitter
Source: Reuters
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