Here is everything you need to know about our search tests in response to Bill C-18. We want Canadians to understand what we are doing and why, and to know that we are committed to working with the government on reasonable and balanced solutions to reform Bill C-18.
Introduction
On March 10, Google Canada attended the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to discuss our approach to Bill C-18. Read our full testimony here.
Current Product Tests
You may have heard about the recent product tests that Google is conducting in response to Bill C-18, a law that, if passed, will govern news online in Canada. We want to ensure that Canadians understand these tests.
Google conducts thousands of real-world tests each year as a way to understand new features and changes. The current tests explore the potential impacts on search results and the discoverability of content should Bill C-18 become law in its current form. We are testing the impact of displaying varying amounts of news links in search results for less than 4% of a random sample of Canadian users. We have not made any decisions about product changes. We are simply doing our duty as responsibly as possible. Just as we always have.
Supporting Journalism
Google is one of the largest financial supporters of journalism in the world. Last year, we sent links to Canadian news publishers over 3.6 billion times, helping them earn money through advertising and new subscriptions. This free flow has resulted in an estimated value of around $250 million for Canadian publishers.
We share the government’s goal of having a healthy, innovative, and diverse journalism environment for the digital age. Through the Google News Showcase, we have signed agreements supporting over 150 Canadian publications, and we pay them for curated content and sharing articles that will be behind paywalls for publishers. The Google News initiative provides a range of tools, training, and funding to help support Canadian news organizations, independent journalists, and students to innovate and adapt.
Our Position on Bill C-18
We share the government’s goal of having a healthy, innovative, and diverse journalism environment for the digital age. However, we do not believe that the current Bill C-18 is the best way forward and have been transparent with the government about our concerns.
Bill C-18 places a price on free links. When you put a price on linking to specific information, you no longer have a free and open web. Mandating payment based on linking encourages cheap clicks rather than quality journalism.
Google cares deeply about the future of journalism in Canada. We want Canadians to know that we are committed to working constructively with the government on reasonable and balanced solutions to reform Bill C-18.
Published in:
Public Policy
News
You may also be interested in related stories:
Update on Bill C-18 in Canada and our search and news products
Our testimony in the Senate regarding Bill C-18
Our testimony in the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage
It’s time to reform Bill C-18
Google Canada’s testimony on Bill C-18, the Online News Act
How Google is supporting news in Canada
Source: https://blog.google/intl/en-ca/company-news/outreach-initiatives/an-open-letter-to-canadians/
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