Google has announced that it has paid Can$100 million (approximately US$69 million) to Canadian news outlets to use their content on its platform. This move is part of a deal with the Canadian government to offset the loss of advertising revenues experienced by traditional news organizations.
The payment was made to the Canadian Journalism Collective, a non-profit organization established to distribute the funds to media businesses whose content is shared or repurposed by Google. The funds are expected to provide a much-needed boost to newsrooms, enabling them to produce high-quality coverage of democratic institutions.
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Canada passed the Online News Act in 2023, which requires tech platforms like Google and Meta to compensate struggling news publishers. While Meta chose to block news content on Facebook and Instagram to avoid paying, Google opted to make the payment and continue using the content.
Paul Deegan, president of News Media Canada, praised the deal, stating that it is “far superior” to similar arrangements in other jurisdictions. He added that the funding will help newsrooms produce more high-quality journalism, benefiting both the media organizations and Google, which relies on fact-checked content.
The deal, approved by Canada’s broadcast regulator in October 2024, stipulates that broadcasters will receive 30% of the funds, with the remainder being shared among news publishers. Google has also indicated that it plans to make another payment at the end of 2025.
This landmark agreement aims to support the local news sector, which has seen a significant decline in advertising revenues and the closure of hundreds of publications over the past decade. By compensating news organizations, Google hopes to contribute to the sustainability of high-quality journalism in Canada.