Google Reverses Decision to Block News Links in Canada

Google has agreed to continue serving Canadian users with news links despite the country’s Online News Act (Bill C-18) taking effect in December. The company will pay news publishers in Canada around $100 million CAD per year, which is less than the government’s previous estimate. Google will only need to negotiate with a representative group rather than with all media organizations. The company’s arrangement with the government will be factored into the Bill C-18 legislative framework. Meta, on the other hand, has blocked Canadian news links on Facebook and Instagram since June and has not returned to the negotiating table with the government. This information was last updated on 11/29 2:08PM ET.