CRTC Grants Google Five-Year Exemption from Online News Act, Orders $100 Million Payment to Canadian Journalism Collective within 60 Days

Oct 28, 2024, 09:21 PM

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has approved a five-year exemption for Google from the Online News Act, requiring the tech giant to pay $100 million annually to Canadian news outlets. This payment is to be distributed within 60 days to the newly formed Canadian Journalism Collective (CJC). The CRTC's decision includes specific stipulations, such as excluding freelancers from employee calculations and allowing the CJC to retain a 2% administrative fee. Additionally, Google remains subject to transparency and undue preference provisions under the Act. This move has been viewed as a significant financial boost for Canadian newsrooms, reflecting a global recognition of the bargaining power imbalance between tech companies and news publishers.