Canada has proposed legislation to force technology companies like Google to pay publishers for using their content. Known as C-18, the bill, which would require Google and Metas around the world to cover about 30% of publishers’ total editorial costs, Canada’s Minister of Culture and Heritage Pablo Rodriguez is now in crisis. Combat the misinformation that circulates online while providing fair compensation to the industry that is doing it.
Of course, Google disagrees, saying the proposed law would amount to a link tax, lower the standards of journalism, and actually benefit spammers and “disinformation peddlers.”
So which side is correct? Does that even matter? Most importantly, what exactly is going on?
what’s going on
Although the bill has not yet become law, it has been introduced through the Government of Canada and is very likely to be implemented in writing. Most likely, Google and Canada will come up with a compromise, much like Meta (then simply known as Facebook) did with the Australian government on exactly the same issue. One thing we all know is that Google often adds context to search results in the form of snippets of what’s being linked. Publishers believe this is unfair and costly.
I’ve read a few different opinions on Google’s response, both what it really is and the reasoning behind it. To find out exactly what the company does, I reached out to Google.
Here’s the official response from a Google spokesperson:
“We are briefly testing a potential product response to Bill C-18, which affects a small percentage of Canadian users. We run thousands of tests each year to evaluate potential changes to Search.
We are fully transparent about our concerns that C-18 is overly broad and, if left unchecked, could impact products that Canadians use and depend on on a daily basis. I have kept We remain committed to supporting a sustainable future for Canadian news and providing solutions to fix Bill C-18. “
According to Google, current tests affect less than 4% of Canadians using its products, and these are just the tests. Not all tests change the product, and according to Google, after a testing period of about 5 weeks, we will have a better understanding of the impact of final product changes.
Google also said it wants to work with the Canadian government to support Canadian news and provide users with an uncompromising experience.
who is right?
This is the hard part because both Google and the Canadian government are doing the right thing. A bigger problem might be that doing the right thing isn’t always what’s best for the consumer.
The Canadian Parliament is responsible for meeting the needs of citizens and the businesses that employ them. News organizations around the world are in crisis and governments around the world must find ways to support the industry if it wants to survive.
None of the options here are good. Publishers try a few unpopular options to make money, like advertising and paid subscriber content, but consumers hate them all.40 billion search revenue in Q4 2022 It’s easy to think of ways for a company like Google beyond the dollar to shoulder part of the bill. After all, search doesn’t exist without content to search for, right?
Google is also doing the right thing, blocking content they don’t want to force you to pay to use. We’re a big company, but we have the right to do business the way we choose, as long as we comply with all applicable laws. The Canadian Parliamentary Budget Office says the C-18 will cost Google millions of dollars a year, and Google shareholders say they don’t want to spend millions if they don’t have to. .
Google is free to make these changes if desired, and consumers can use alternative search platforms if they want unrestricted news content.
The problem is that the situation harms the consumer. I’m not Canadian, but if you know, I don’t want my phone search results to block news sites or force me to use Bing. Also, I believe in fair use and I think small snippets of text and photos are just that. It hurts the businesses that the C-18 bill was meant to help.
What needs to happen is a compromise that helps everyone. Consumers are not affected if both sides reach an agreement with small concessions, as Facebook and Australia have done. This is very important because it is consumers who keep Google and Canadian news outlets in business.
