Big Tech In Canadian Crosshairs Over Paid Content

Canadian lawmakers want Google and Facebook to pay for content, saying that “the government will act to ensure web companies’ revenue is shared more fairly with our creators and media” and adding that “corporate tax avoidance by digital giants” is next on its list. Members of Canada’s governing Liberal party last week renewed calls to legislate changes to force Big Tech platforms to pay media producers a cut of ad dollars.

CBC reported that “in its throne speech on [Sept. 23], the Liberal government put it this way: ‘Web giants are taking Canadians’ money while imposing their own priorities.’” That speech was delivered by Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, who pledged that “things must change, and will change.” 

Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault has been signalling his intent to take on the Silicon Valley companies for months, but amid the COVID-19 pandemic and an economic crisis, there was no guarantee that it would remain a legislative priority.

“We’ve felt for a long time that we’re contributing a lot to these platforms and getting nothing back,” Payette told CBC News in an earlier interview. “It’s because we’re in this essentially powerless position that we’re asking government to intervene.”