CCIA Opposes Journalism-Big Tech Compensation Bill in Canada

Legislation that would force social media companies to pay to carry news content from Canadian companies would damage the internet ecosystem and exacerbate media concentration, the Computer and Communications Industry Association said Friday. Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which the House of Commons’ Heritage Committee considered at a hearing Friday, would allow Canadian news companies to negotiate for pay when platforms and search engines index content or users link and quote it. The Senate Commerce Committee passed a similar bill Thursday (see 2209220077), and Australia implemented a similar law. “Targeting a select few U.S. firms ... to force payments to Canadian news businesses, would not only constitute an unwarranted and discriminatory subsidy, but worsen competition in the media market by entrenching Canadian media conglomerates,” said CCIA Vice President-Digital Trade Jonathan McHale.