Google, Meta fight with Canada over law forcing them to pay for news
3 sides to this story - Bill C-18
Google’s Side:
Bill C-18 has become law and remains unworkable. The Government has not given us reason to believe that the regulatory process will be able to resolve structural issues with the legislation. As a result, we have informed the Government that we have made the difficult decision that when the law takes effect we will be removing links to Canadian news from our Search, News, and Discover products and will no longer be able to operate Google News Showcase in Canada. Read our blog and consult our FAQ to learn more.
Meta’s Side:
People in Canada will no longer be able to view or share news content on Facebook and Instagram, including news articles and audio-visual content posted by news outlets.
Justin Trudeau’s Side:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused Facebook of putting corporate profits ahead of people’s safety by blocking Canadians’ access to news as wildfires rage.
Speaking at a news conference Monday in Cornwall, PEI, Mr. Trudeau sharply criticized the tech giant for its response to the government’s Online News Act while people are fleeing their homes and seeking updates about spreading fires in B.C. and the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Trudeau said access to local news is “unbelievably essential” to keep people informed about such things as evacuation orders.
“Right now in an emergency situation where up to date local information is more important than ever, Facebook’s putting corporate profits ahead of people’s safety, ahead of supporting quality local journalism,” Mr. Trudeau said.
" This is not the time for that.”
He added that the Online News Act was designed to ensure that local journalists are paid fairly “for keeping Canadians informed on things like wildfires.”
“It’s time for us to expect more from corporations like Facebook that are making billions of dollars off of Canadians,” he said. (…source)
So what is a country to do without news from Facebook, Instagram and Google News? Well the following is a list of news sites that have NOT been affected by Bill - C - 18. I am supporting those, as I never went to Meta for news anyway…
Paywalls:
If you come across a paywall article or website, I recommend copy and pasting the blocked URL into one of these websites which have been known to allow a bypass of some paywalls. Or support the website by paying the subscription :)
https://12ft.io/
https://archive.ph/
or - try using your browser’s incognito mode to bypass a paywall
or read this: https://github.com/iamadamdev/bypass-paywalls-chrome
🇨🇦 English News Websites
The Globe and Mail > mostly paywalled click article url and enter it into:
The Score - Sports with CFL and NHL
🇨🇦 Podcasts
Real Talk - Ryan Jespersen
CanadaLand
Cold Case Canada
CTV National Podscast
CBC The National
CBC The World This Hour
The Canadian Investor
...awesome tips...thanks for the links...i get paywalled a lot and while i wish i could afford to sub to all those rags i am not currently with infinite pocket...
Sounds like a nasty stalemate. What do you think the outcome will be?