Tech platforms are pulling out all the stops in an effort to prevent Bill C-18, the Online News Act, from passing into law.
Over the past week, the Senate committee reviewing the legislation has heard from officials from both Google and Meta. Representatives from both organizations put forward some disquieting testimony.
Richard Gingras, the vice-president of Google’s news division, told senators it would be fair to reconsider whether it chooses to continue sharing links to news sites if C-18 becomes law.
Rachel Curran, Meta Canada’s head of public policy, went ever further in her testimony. She told Senators that the company has been looking into how to “prepare for the removal” of news content on its platform.
News Media Canada will be testifying before the committee later this month.
