Google tells Canada's government the company will remove Canadian news links from Search, News, and Discover and close News Showcase when Bill C-18 takes effect

President of Global Affairs, Google & Alphabet … The Government of Canada has enacted a new law called Bill C-18 …

Google 2023-06-30 Kent Walker

Context & Ripple Effects

Google had already signaled withdrawal as its response to the proposed law and ran a limited Canadian Search news-blocking test earlier in the year, making this a declared escalation rather than an isolated policy change.

The move arrives after Meta said it would remove news from its Canadian services, while contemporaneous coverage questioned whether platforms still viewed news as valuable enough to negotiate over.

First-order effects

Canadian users would no longer receive links to Canadian news in Google Search, News, or Discover once Bill C-18 takes effect.
Canadian publishers would lose Google-distributed discovery and the News Showcase program, removing a key route by which their reporting reaches audiences.

Second-order effects

With both Google and Meta pursuing removal, publishers face less leverage to rely on large platforms for reach and must shift attention toward direct audience channels and alternative distribution.
The government faces a narrower implementation choice: enforce the law against platforms that have announced withdrawal, or seek terms that preserve news availability.

Third-order effects

The episode tests whether mandatory-payment frameworks can sustain news-platform ties when platforms can instead exclude news from their products.
If this response becomes repeatable across markets, publisher-platform relationships may move away from broad linking and bundled news products toward more selective, publisher-controlled distribution.

The trend: This is one data point in a widening clash between national rules seeking to compensate news publishers and platforms' willingness to reduce news exposure rather than accept open-ended payment obligations.

Discussion

@carnage4life.bsky.social Dare Obasanjo on bluesky
Newspapers have fooled themselves into believing that companies like make money from linking to news when it's the other way around and news sites get traffic from these sources. — So many news sites are in for a rude awakening.
@danyork@mastodon.social Dan York on mastodon
Google joins Meta in saying they will stop linking to news in Canada after the government of #Canada imposes their “link toll” with their C-18 #OnlineNewsAct . — It's disappointing that the Canadian government did this. There are many ways of supporting journalism, but imposin…
@WarnerCrocker@mastodon.social Warner Crocker on mastodon
Could it be possible the no news might be good news? — Google set to remove Canadian news links in Canada over online news law https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/ ... [image]
@mercedesallen@mastodon.social Mercedes Allen on mastodon
In which Google explains why they would rather block all linking to Canadian news sites on their search engine and apps than comply with a law that would cost them a little money. — Google and News in Canada — https://blog.google/...
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social Jeff Jarvis on mastodon
Other shoe drops on Canada's terrible C-18: Google will “remove links to Canadian news from our Search, News & Discover products in Canada, & that C-18 will also make it untenable for us to continue offering our Google News Showcase product in Canada.” https://blog.google/...
@joshmcconnell@mastodon.nz @joshmcconnell@mastodon.nz on mastodon
Google says it will remove news links in Canada once Bill C-11 goes into effect by the end of 2023 unless changes are made to it. This would remove news links from the search engine, Google News, Google Discover and Google News Showcase. — https://blog.google/... …
@googlecanada @googlecanada on x
Unfortunately, we've made the difficult decision that when Bill C-18 takes effect, we will remove Canadian news links from our Search, News and Discover products. https://blog.google/... [image]
@anjakaradeglija Anja Karadeglija on x
BREAKING: Google announces it will pull news from Google Search and other platforms over the Online News Act. It's also killing existing deals with publishers: https://blog.google/...
@jessebrown Jesse Brown on x
If the government's explicit goal was to kill the Canadian news industry and ensure that no-one dares invest a dime to rebuild it, they couldn't have done a better job. https://twitter.com/...
@thecoolestcool Ross Simmonds on x
The impact this will have on the already struggling local media system is going to be significant. Google is out. Facebook is out. These are two of the biggest drivers of traffic for most of these companies. It's not going to end well. https://twitter.com/...
@jimmy_wales Jimmy Wales on x
This is the right stance by Google. An attempt to force them to pay for the privilege of linking to something is ridiculous. If the news publishers don't want free traffic, they can always opt out with robots.txt. https://blog.google/...
@pablorodriguez Pablo Rodriguez on x
Big tech would rather spend money changing their platforms to block news from Canadians instead of paying a small share of the billions they make in advertising dollars. Canadians won't be bullied. Big tech isn't bigger than Canada. https://twitter.com/...
@jason @jason on x
If news headlines were removed from google search, folks will just use other search engines, social media, and type in direct urls to read the news — it's really not a big deal. https://twitter.com/...
@pablorodriguez Pablo Rodriguez on x
Our government: Stands up for Canadian news organizations by levelling the playing field and ensuring tech giants pay their fair share for news. @PierrePoilievre: No thanks, I'll stand with the foreign tech giants instead of Canadians. [image]
@adnewgate Alex on x
🔒 Cybersecurity Thread Part 3: Bypassing censorship 🚫 Friens! Let's play hide and seek, against censorship. Bill C-18 is trending, good timing. Remember to keep an eye on the bonus at the end!😉 https://blog.google/... #Censorship #freedom (Start https://twitter.com/...
@benedictevans Benedict Evans on x
There's a perfectly coherent argument that the social value of news means those companies should get a subsidy. But claiming this is about copyright, competition or ‘using news’ is the most transparently dishonest bullshit.
@pierrepoilievre Pierre Poilievre on x
Instead of bringing down the cost of living or building more homes, Trudeau is focused on censoring the internet, again. Meta & now Google will block news access in Canada because of Trudeau's internet law. A Conservative government will fix what Trudeau broke & bring home free s…
@jason_kint Jason Kint on x
Most importantly, Canada understands Google would not take this same approach to a law in US. IOW, it's bad for Google's business but they appear willing to screw Canadian citizens in order to try to stop the public policy momentum (note: G likely very concerned about Brazil). ht…
@matthewstoller Matt Stoller on x
It seems like a monopoly problem that two companies can simply choose to stop a good chunk of news distribution in a nation. https://twitter.com/...
@netopiaeu @netopiaeu on x
Make that 27 EU countries, Australia, UK and now Canada all threatened by Google. Who regulates who here? https://twitter.com/...
@seyitaylor @seyitaylor on x
I don't understand what anyone thought would happen. Asking Google or Meta to pay you for linking to your page is not a reasonable request — people pay them to show their links 😅 https://www.ctvnews.ca/...
@mickeydjuric Mickey Djuric on x
UPDATE: Google says it has begun briefing federal, provincial and regional authorities on tools they can use to get the word out about a crisis, once news is pulled from its search engine. And will create resources for agencies to get the word out during times of crisis #cdnpoli …
@pt Parker on x
We've been hearing for decades how tech is taking all the media revenue. This kind of reaction feels like a concession that was never true. Like, you've won. Tech bailed. Now media can have all the traffic and revenue it's been missing. Disgusting indeed. https://twitter.com/...
@benedictevans Benedict Evans on x
The whole thing is absurd. You want to charge two companies, but no-one else, to have *links* to news companies, but no-one else. Is it really so hard to admit you want a subsidy, and make an honest argument for that?
@sarthakgh Sar Haribhakti on x
Canada fucked around and found out https://twitter.com/...
@pt Parker on x
I earnestly wonder if Canadian lawmakers thought tech companies were bluffing when they said this content wasn't worth paying to distribute for these media orgs. https://twitter.com/...
@lutherlowe Luther Lowe on x
This is a dangerous game of chicken Google is playing. My money is on the Canadian government and Canadian citizens who are standing up to protect local journalism. https://twitter.com/...
@nateknox Nate Knox on x
Are you all following this? The “Online News Acts” is requiring payments for news links. An already strapped-for-cash industry that is {supposed to be} providing citizens with information is going to be wrecked. Imagine what would happen when news orgs can't report news. https://…
@mickeydjuric Mickey Djuric on x
Google removing news in Canada: - Only applies to Canadian publishers, people will still be able to search for international news like BBC - This will also end deals Google has with 150+ publishers to license their news content Latest for @CdnPressNews https://www.ctvnews.ca/...
@adamsinger Adam Singer on x
Canada hates the internet and free, organic traffic to their media properties. Couldn't be dumber. There is no course of action against such draconian regulations other than simply to not index them https://twitter.com/...
@benedictevans Benedict Evans on x
So, Google stands on principle and follows Meta in pulling links to news in Canada, given the new Link Tax law there. If you want to charge someone a fee for doing something, where that fee has no economic basis, then they won't do it. https://blog.google/...
@rustybrick Barry Schwartz on x
This went well for other countries that went this route... https://twitter.com/...
@bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x
New: Google says links to Canadian news will be removed from Google search in Canada when a new law there takes effect. The law would force tech companies to pay publishers for linking to stories. Google calls it a “link tax,” saying: “We're disappointed it has come to this.”... …
r/google r on reddit
Google set to remove news links in Canada, Meta ends contract for journalism fellowship as Bill C-18 fallout continues
r/neoliberal r on reddit
Google set to remove news links in Canada, Meta ends contract for journalism fellowship as Bill C-18 fallout continues
r/canada r on reddit
Google set to remove news links in Canada, Meta ends contract for journalism fellowship as Bill C-18 fallout continues
r/CanadianConservative r on reddit
Google set to remove news links in Canada, Meta ends contract for journalism fellowship as Bill C-18 fallout continues
r/worldnews r on reddit
Google set to remove news links in Canada, Meta ends contract for journalism fellowship as Bill C-18 fallout continues

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