Google Canada

Tech companies are continuing to push back on the Liberal government over its Online News Act, with Google withholding its new artificial-intelligence chatbot from Canada and Meta running ads opposing the law.

Google Canada has told senators that it would be reasonable to reconsider whether it shares links to news sites if the government's online news bill becomes law, but it is not promising to block them.

Google is raising "serious" concerns about a Liberal bill that seeks to require tech giants to pay media outlets in exchange for putting their news content online.

Digital giants will have six months to negotiate private deals to compensate Canadian media outlets for reusing their news content or be forced to reach an agreement, if a new federal bill becomes law.

Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault is promising legislation this year to ensure tech giants like Google and Facebook pay for the news content they disseminate on their platforms.

Politicians are increasingly concerned that social media giants have become so big, powerful and rich that they are effectively above the law — at least in a small country like Canada.

If you are what you Google, Canadians are a pretty broad-minded lot.