Google has indicated the proposed regulations for Canada’s Online News Act do not resolve its concerns over the controversial law. The company suggested legislative changes may now be needed, potentially setting up a standoff with Ottawa.
In a submission on the draft guidelines, Google said the regulations “exacerbate” issues with the law rather than fix them. The Online News Act will require Google and Meta to pay Canadian news publishers for content previews and referral traffic.
Both companies argue the law unfairly forces them into vague payment arrangements. Meta has already blocked news content in Canada over the legislation.
Google took issue with the proposed revenue sharing formula that would require it to pay millions more than Meta each year. It also opposes the mandatory bargaining model in the law.
With the draft regulations not addressing Google’s concerns, the company hinted amendments to the actual legislation may be needed. This could put Google on a collision course with Ottawa.
The government has been reviewing feedback on the draft rules and aims to finalize them before the law takes effect December 19th. Google has threatened to remove Canadian news from search results if its demands aren’t met by then.
The standoff highlights ongoing tensions between tech giants and governments seeking to regulate online content. Google’s strong opposition suggests major changes to Canada’s Online News Act may be unavoidable.
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