‘Canada’s door’ open to getting news on Facebook: Minister

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A spokesperson for Culture Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday in a statement to The Canadian Press that they are in ongoing discussions with the Silicon Valley-based tech giant after it removed news from its apps to protest the Online News Act.

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The legislation requires companies such as Meta and Google to compensate news publishers such as Postmedia for using their content, but it has also been flagged as a trade irritant by the Donald Trump administration.

“The door has always been open on our government’s side to discuss these issues,” Hermine Landry told The Canadian Press in a statement. “We’ve been having regular discussions with platforms since the Online News Act was developed. This is nothing new.”

U.S. voices opposition to Online News Act

Landry also declined to comment on negotiations with the U.S., but acknowledged they are opposed to the legislation.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in December cited concerns about the Online News Act and Online Streaming Act on American digital services providers ahead of a review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on cross-border trade.

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He said an upcoming review of the free-trade deal will hinge on resolving those concerns, which also include grievances with Canada’s dairy and alcohol industries.

Meta pulled news from its platforms in 2023 in response to the Online News Act, although Google was eventually exempted for five years after agreeing to pay $100 million to Canadian outlets.

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Concern for news industry

It was unclear how often the government discusses the topic with Meta. Miller himself told reporters Wednesday that he is not involved in any talks.

“These are very preliminary,” he said, via The Canadian Press. “Our door, at least Canada’s door, has always been open to have those discussions. We stand by the value of the two acts.”

Opposition politicians urged the government to resolve the dispute with the NDP’s Gord Johns pointing out that tech giants such as Meta and Google are gobbling up most of the advertising revenue in Canada.

“We’re seeing small newspapers close,” said the MP for the B.C. riding of Courtenay-Alberni, via CP. “We’re seeing this attack on media right now and how critical media is, especially in a time of disinformation.”

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said decisions such as the one Meta made have led to an “avalanche of disinformation.”

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