Google pays $69 million in content fees to Canadian newspapers

On January 3, Google announced that it had paid 100 million CAD (equivalent to 69 million USD) to Canadian news agencies to use information content on this platform.

Illustration photo: Globalnews.ca

This is part of a deal between Google and the Canadian government to compensate for lost advertising revenue for the traditional news industry.

The move comes as part of the Online News Act, which Canada passed in 2023. The law requires major tech platforms like Google and Meta to pay for the use of news content, similar to policies already in place in Australia and some European countries.

Google and Meta — the two giants that account for about 80% of advertising revenue in Canada — have long been criticized for undercutting traditional news organizations while still offering free content.

The money was sent to the Canadian Journalism Collective, a non-profit organization created to distribute the funding. Google said it would continue to honor the agreement and expects to make another payment by the end of 2025.

Mr. Paul Deegan - President of News Media Canada, an organization representing major publishers and radio stations in Canada - commented that this is a "far superior" agreement compared to other regions.

Canadian news organizations could receive up to $20,000 CAD per journalist, he said, creating additional incentives for newsrooms to produce high-quality news content.

“This funding will help news organizations produce more quality articles, while Google also benefits greatly from the verified content that journalists create,” Mr. Deegan emphasized.

Canada's Online News Act was introduced to support local journalism, which has been hit hard by declining advertising revenue, leading to hundreds of newspaper closures over the past decade.

Meta responded, however, by blocking news content on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in Canada to avoid having to compensate media companies. Google had threatened to take similar action before reaching a sponsorship deal, which was approved by Canada’s media regulator in October 2024.

Under the deal, 30% of the money from Google will be allocated to radio and television stations, while the rest will be divided among news publishers.

Google previously reached a similar agreement with the state of California (USA) to support local news agencies.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/google-tra-69-trieu-usd-phi-su-dung-noi-dung-cho-bao-chi-canada-2025010412215578.htm