Should Google and Meta be paying Canadian news organizations for their content?

According to a study by the Angus Reid Institute, 61% of Canadians believe that large tech companies like Google and Meta should be paying Canadian news organizations for the content they share. The reasoning, as explained in the report, is that this compensation would help balance the current market “given that those platforms benefit from vast advertising dollars that may have gone to the original creators, but are increasingly concentrated in the hands of tech companies.”

Among those who agree with this sentiment, 42% say large tech companies should pay an agreed upon amount each year for access to content, while 20% believe news organizations should be paid each time a link is used or clicked on their platform.

Conversely, 39% of Canadians believe Canadian news organizations should not have to be paid at all by tech companies like Google and Meta.

“Canadian media companies face an existential problem: as subscription and advertising revenues fall from traditional sources, they are increasingly reliant on ad revenues from internet operations. However, that market is dominated by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and Google. In Canada, Google and Facebook receive 80% of digital advertising revenue.

“In response, the federal government drafted Bill C-18, forcing tech companies like Google and Meta to pay Canadian media companies for content that appears on their platforms. Bill C-18 became law on June 22. New data from the Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians aligned in principle with the concept of going after so-called ‘Big Tech’ to ‘pay their fair share,’ something touted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in recent weeks.”

I'd say there are four big takeaways from these data. The first, is that a majority of Canadians DO think Google and Meta SHOULD be paying Cdn news organizations for the content they share and from which they reap advertising revenue. pic.twitter.com/Z3ifrwvt6q
— Shachi Kurl (@ShachiKurl) July 10, 2023

Should Google and Meta be paying Canadian news organizations for their content?

Last week, Meta removed Canadian news content from Facebook in response to Bill C-18, making posts by news organizations based in Canada not viewable in this country.

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from July 4-6, 2023 among a representative randomized sample of 1,610 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum.

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