Facebook resistance to paying for news links ‘deeply irresponsible’: Trudeau

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This article was published 09/05/2023 (885 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Facebook’s resistance to paying publishers for articles posted on the platform is “deeply irresponsible” and “out of touch.”

He says the tech giant’s opposition to compensating media companies for use of their stories shows how much work must be done to protect our democracies.

His remarks came during a media scrum, a day after Facebook’s parent company Meta told the federal heritage committee it will block news on Facebook and Instagram, if Bill C-18 requires platforms to pay Canadian media companies for linking to or repurposing their content.

Trudeau also used the scrum to address a policy resolution that passed at the recent Liberal party convention and promises to explore ways to hold online information services accountable for the veracity of material they publish and limit publication to material whose sources can be traced.

The prime minister says that policy is not one would his government would implement.

While he says Canadians are right to be worried about misinformation, he says he will never harm journalists’ capacity to complete independent and professional work.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2023.