Ottawa –
A Google spokesperson said the technology company is blocking some Canadian users from viewing news content in response to the Free Government’s Online News Bill.
The proposed Online News Act, also known as Bill C-18, would compensate digital giants such as Meta, which owns Google and Facebook, for republishing content on their platforms by Canadian media companies. Request to negotiate a deal.
The company says it limits access to online news content to less than 4% of Canadian users of its products. This includes the popular search engine and his Discover feature on his Android device that publishes news and sports articles.
The company says all types of news content is affected, including content produced by Canadian broadcasters and newspapers, and will run for about five weeks.
A spokesman for Canada’s Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said Canadians will not be intimidated and said he was disappointed that Google was borrowing from Meta’s playbook.
The company last year threatened to block news from the site in response to the bill.
Google spokesperson Shay Purdy said in a written statement Wednesday:
The company conducts thousands of tests each year to evaluate potential search engine changes, he added.
“We are fully transparent about our concerns that C-18 is overly pervasive and, if left unchecked, could impact products that Canadians use and depend on on a daily basis. ,” Purdy said.
“We remain committed to supporting a sustainable future for Canadian news and providing solutions to fix Bill C-18.”
This report by the Canadian Press was first published on February 22, 2023.
