The Federal government says it remains open to discussions with Meta about the possible return of news content to Facebook. This comes as Canada prepares for an upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). Officials say the talks are part of ongoing conversations with major digital platforms, and have been underway since the Online News Act was implemented.
The Online News Act, which went into law in 2023, requires tech companies like Google and Meta to compensate Canadian media outlets for news content shared or repurposed on its platforms. In the Fall of 2023, Google and the Federal government entered into an agreement allowing Canadian news to remain available on its medium for annual payments of $100 million. Payment which is passed onto Canadian news organizations. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, did not go about an agreement, and instead removed all news content from its platforms in Canada.
The United States Trade Representative describes the Online News Act as a trade irritant that unfairly targets American companies. Noting the resolution of the issue, along with other trade concerns, could factor into the CUSMA review, which is scheduled to formally begin in July.
Canadian Culture Minister Mark Miller has acknowledged the U.S. concerns, but says Canada is committed to protecting news providers. He’s communicated that the government is open to flexibility in how the Online News Act is applied, but the United States will not be given control over that process.
Keith Hopper, Trending 55
