More than 450 news platforms have closed in Canada - Online News Act, launched by the Liberal government

Alphabet Inc's Google is launching tests that block access to news content for some Canadian users, a test run of possible responses to the government's online news bill. Which the company has already confirmed.

More than 450 news platforms have closed in Canada - Online News Act, launched by the Liberal government

Image-Google

The "Online News Act," launched by the Liberal government, created rules to compel platforms like Facebook, and Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content.

 

The potential product response to Bill C-18 affects a very small percentage of Canadian users. We run thousands of tests every year to evaluate any potential changes to search," a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The tech giant confirmed that the time-limited test, which affected a random sample of less than 4% of users in Canada, "restricted the visibility of Canadian and international news to varying degrees."

 

A spokeswoman for Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said Canadians should not panic and called it disappointing that Google is borrowing from the Matter playbook.

 

"Canadians need to have access to quality, fact-based news at the local and national level, and that's why we introduced the Online News Act. Tech giants need to be more transparent and accountable to Canadians," the spokesperson said.

 

Last year, Facebook warned that it could block the sharing of news content on its platform in Canada, which would force digital platforms to pay news publishers. A similar law in Australia came into effect in March 2021. Facebook's news feeds were shut down in the country after talks with major tech companies. which is stated in a report.

 

Canada's news media industry has pushed back against Facebook and asked the government for more regulation of tech companies. To allow this industry to recover financial losses. More than 450 news platforms have closed in Canada since 2008. Out of which there have been around 64 closures in the last two years. -Collected.