Canada’s Online News Act: How we’re moving forward with the Canadian news ecosystem
Since the Government of Canada committed late last year to addressing our concerns with the Online News Act, we have been working through the exemption process prescribed by the implementing regulations.
On June 7th, 2024 we announced that we have reached an agreement with the Canadian Journalism Collective-Collectif Canadien de Journalisme (CJC-CCJ), the single collective responsible for distributing our $100 million CAD annual contribution to news businesses identified through our open call. We have provided the agreement to the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commision (CRTC) as the last step prior to the issuance of an exemption order, we look forward to confirmation of our exemption in the coming weeks. This will allow us to continue making news accessible to Canadians on our products and will unlock our contribution under this new model, which marks a significant evolution in how we support journalism and the news industry in Canada
More information can be found on our blog.
Open Call Applications
The Online News Act’s Application and Exemption Regulations mandate that platforms run and publish an open call process to qualify for an exemption order.
We initiated our open call process effective February 28, 2024 and closed it April 30, 2024, at midnight ET.
Under the regulations, all news businesses that wished to benefit from our new contribution to the Canadian news ecosystem, and could be designated as eligible under the Act, were required to register prior to the closing of the open call.
The final list of news businesses replying to the open call can be found here.
Single Collective
As part of the exemption process outlined in the final regulations of the Online News Act, we have reached an agreement with the Canadian Journalism Collective-Collectif Canadien de Journalisme (CJC-CCJ) who will now be responsible for distributing our $100M CAD annual contribution to those news businesses identified through the open call we ran earlier in the year in accordance with the regulations.
Our agreement stipulates that payment is contingent on Google formally receiving an exemption from the CRTC, which we expect to be made official following a required public consultation on our application.
We hope these next steps will be completed as quickly as possible, so Canadian publishers and journalists can soon begin to receive the proceeds of this new contribution model.
FAQs
How will the $100M be distributed among news businesses?
News businesses should consult the Online News Act and the Online News Act Application and Exemption Regulations for details surrounding publisher eligibility and the process for determining the equitable distribution of funds.
How long will it be before funds are distributed to news businesses?
Google has now completed all conditions for the making of an exemption order. This includes publishing the final list of news businesses that replied to the open call and finalizing an agreement with a single collective, where payment will be contingent on Google receiving an exemption from the CRTC under the Online News Act.
What does this mean for the Google News Initiative in Canada?
We have always been committed to maintaining Google News Initiative (GNI) programming in Canada. This includes a range of collaborative tools and resources that can support the advancement of quality journalism. However, with our monetary contribution in Canada now streamlined into the new single collective model, these investments will be non-monetary in nature.
How did you choose the single collective?
As stated in the Online News Act Application and Exemption Regulations, “the intent of the Act is to ensure digital platforms contribute to the sustainability of the Canadian news marketplace, while upholding press independence and promoting diversity and innovation.” We also shared at the outset of this process that our selection of the single collective would be informed by principles aligned with that intent: diversity of representation, a robust governance structure, a high level of transparency, and minimizing administrative fees.
What does this mean for Google News Showcase in Canada?
As we have announced, we plan to support the Canadian news ecosystem via our new contribution to a single collective. Moving to this new model will involve some changes to our existing products and programs.
What should I do if I missed the open call?
Registering via the open call was the only way to guarantee consideration for inclusion in the single collective.