According to an agreement between the Canadian government and Google, the company will contribute approximately $74 million annually to Canadian news organizations and companies.
Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Cultural Heritage, announced that they reached an agreement with Google in accordance with the law that requires companies to pay Canadian media publishers a fee for using news content on their platforms.
St-Onge said at a press conference that the agreement was a good development for the media sector and added: "It is time for Facebook to explain why it does not support our news systems and opens space for disinformation on its platform."
St-Onge described Meta's decision to cut off Canadians' access to news content from local and foreign media organizations on the Meta platform as "irresponsible" and pointed out that the Canadian media sector is at risk.
CANADA'S "ONLINE NEWS LAW"
The Online News Act, Bill C-18, which became law in Canada in June, requires companies such as Meta and Google to pay Canadian media publishers for the use of their news content on their platforms.
Canadians cannot access news content from local and foreign media organizations on Meta accounts.