Google has paid CAD 100 million (USD 69 million) to use news content from Canadian media outlets on its platform, the tech giant announced Friday.
Canadian news organizations, struggling to survive amid declining ad revenues lost to Google and Meta, are set to benefit from this payment under the country’s Online News Act. The law requires large tech companies to compensate news outlets for using their content, with the funds managed and distributed by the Canadian Journalism Collective (CJC).
While Google agreed to the deal, Meta refused to comply and has instead blocked Canadian news content on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to avoid paying the CJC.
Under the terms of the Google agreement, 30% of the funds will go to broadcasters, with the remainder allocated to news publishers. The non-profit CJC will distribute the money, with publishers receiving CAD 13,798 per employed journalist, and smaller outlets—both digital and print—receiving CAD 17,000 per full-time journalist, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
News Media Canada President Paul Deegan said the funding will provide essential support to Canadian newsrooms, enabling them to produce more high-quality journalism and enhance coverage of democratic institutions. He also highlighted that the deal benefits Google by giving it access to reliable, fact-checked content created by Canadian journalists.
This payment marks a significant step in the Canadian government’s efforts to hold big tech companies accountable for compensating domestic news outlets. In return, Google receives a five-year exemption from compliance with the Online News Act.
