Overview
- Government officials say preliminary discussions with Meta are underway to explore bringing news back to its platforms in Canada.
- Negotiations are being handled through Canada–U.S. trade channels by Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and the government is keeping details confidential.
- Culture Minister Marc Miller says Canada is prepared to be flexible on digital media laws while insisting on protecting the act’s objectives.
- The U.S. has labeled the Online News Act a trade irritant ahead of the CUSMA review set to begin in July, increasing pressure on Ottawa.
- Meta removed news in 2023 rather than pay under the law, while Google continues to carry news after agreeing to contribute about $100 million annually to Canadian publishers.