Google vs. the Canadian government: Who blinks first
Posted March 6, 2023 7:12 am.
In today’s Big Story podcast, some Canadians cannot see Canadian news on Google right now. It’s because of what Google calls a ‘test’ that it only admitted when a reporter noticed it happening to them and asked the company.
The government, meanwhile, calls it ‘bullying’ as it prepares to pass Bill C-18, which would force companies like Google to compensate Canadian media companies for serving up their content. If the bill passes, Google could theoretically block all Canadians from finding their news on Google.
Mickey Djuric is a reporter with the Canadian Press. She joins us to explain how she initially broke the story about Google limiting access to Canadian News, and what the blowback has been like in Ottawa.
“The summon papers have been served to the [Google] CEO … but last I heard, Google has not responded to the government,” she said, “it might be some political theatre in the days ahead.”
What happens when a tech giant goes head-to-head with a government? And what does it say about the state of media that one company could hold such power over audiences?
You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.
You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.
