Toronto, November 29 (Xinhua) - The Canadian government, which has caused dissatisfaction and even resistance from internet giants due to the introduction of the Online News Act, announced on November 29 an agreement with Google to pay Canadian media $100 million annually for the use of news content.
St. Angie, the Minister of Cultural Heritage of Canada, said in Ottawa that Google could choose to cooperate with a collective organization and allocate funds to qualified news media according to the number of full-time journalists employed by the media.
Meanwhile, Google also agrees to continue providing support for Canadian news media in business development training, tools and resources, as well as non-profit news projects. Google also guarantees that Canadian news media will continue to receive the same treatment as their global counterparts.
The consensus reached by both parties on the amount of funds that Google needs to pay is significantly lower than the Canadian government's earlier estimate of 172 million Canadian dollars.
The online news law launched by the Canadian government completed its legislative process on June 22 this year, becoming an official law, and is scheduled to take effect on December 19. The law requires digital platforms, including those that provide search engines and social media services, especially internet giants who pay Canadian news media for the use of news content to provide "fair compensation". But some internet giants, including Meta, hold opposing and restraining attitudes towards the law. Meta has blocked Canadian news content on its platforms Facebook and Instagram since July. The Canadian government has therefore suspended advertising on Meta's platforms.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau welcomed the agreement reached between the Canadian government and Google, while criticizing Meta for continuing to "waive any responsibility" on this issue.
According to official data, from 2008 to 2020, the overall revenue of broadcasting, television, radio, newspapers, and magazines in the country decreased by nearly 6 billion Canadian dollars. In 2020, Canada's online advertising revenue was 9.7 billion Canadian dollars, of which over 80% flowed into Google and Facebook. (End)