The Canadian government is engaged in ongoing discussions with Meta regarding the potential return of online news to Facebook as part of the preparations for the review of CUSMA. According to Hermine Landry, press secretary to Culture Minister Mark Miller, the government has always been open to addressing these issues and has been in regular talks with platforms since the enactment of the Online News Act in 2023.
Under the Online News Act, tech giants like Google and Meta are required to compensate media outlets for utilizing their news content on their platforms. In a recent development, Google and the federal government reached an agreement in the fall of 2023, where Google agreed to continue sharing Canadian news online and make annual payments of $100 million to news companies. On the other hand, Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, opted to remove all news from its platforms to avoid paying fees to news outlets.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer highlighted the Online News Act as a trade irritant, along with other issues such as the Online Streaming Act, improved dairy access, and the ban on the sale of U.S. alcohol in certain Canadian provinces. He emphasized the importance of resolving these issues for the forthcoming review of CUSMA, scheduled to commence in July.
Minister Miller is actively involved in discussions with Meta to ensure that Canadians can access news online. Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, is leading these talks, the details of which are not disclosed to the public. Miller emphasized the importance of protecting news providers in the evolving digital landscape and expressed Canada’s willingness to be flexible within the framework of the Online News Act.