Meta, Google prepared to terminate news linking if bill C-18 passes

By Christopher Guly OTTAWA – Meta and Google threatened to withdraw news articles from their platforms should bill C-18 become law, company executives told members of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications Wednesday evening. The framework of the Online News Act that passed second reading in the Senate last month requires platforms to compensate news publishers for linking to their articles. “ is quite frankly, Senators, unworkable for us,” said Rachel Curran, the Ottawa-based head of public policy in Canada for Meta, parent company of Facebook, in its first appearance before a parliamentary committee on C-18. She said...