OTTAWA — Canada’s news publishers commended Google on Thursday for recommending “good faith” changes to the country’s law compelling digital platforms to compensate media outlets.
Late last week, Google, a unit of Alphabet GOOG, -1.00% GOOGL, -1.12%, said Canada needed to make at least eight changes to the law, or else it would remove links to news articles on its search function for Canadian users starting in December. Its demands were included in a submission to the federal government.
“Google’s submission is a welcome, clear, constructive, good faith articulation of legitimate concerns,” said News Media Canada, a lobby group that has advocated for the Liberal government measures aimed at providing financial support to the struggling media sector. “We are in agreement with many of the issues they have raised.”
Among the key elements News Media Canada is backing is a limit on how big a financial contribution digital companies, notably Google and Meta Platforms, would make to media outlets. The changes Google seeks cover issues such as which media outlets qualify for compensation, copyright limitations and how digital platforms can obtain exemptions to the law.
“We are ready to sit down and work through the details of these issues before the regulations are finalized,” News Media Canada said in a statement sent via email.
The law, known as the Online News Act, was approved by parliament last June. At that time, Google issued its first warning about removing links to news...
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