Library of Parliament Legislative Summary of Bill C-18: Online News Act

The Library of Parliament has published its legislative summary of Bill C-18, the Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada (short title: Online News Act).

"The purpose of Bill C‑18 is to rebalance the power dynamics in the digital news marketplace in order to ensure fair compensation for Canadian media outlets and journalists. It creates a new legislative and regulatory framework to enable digital news intermediaries to negotiate agreements with Canadian media to authorize them to disseminate Canadian media content on their platforms. The bill sets up a process that enables smaller media outlets to bargain collectively."

"The bill also expands the mandate and powers of the Canadian Radio‑television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). It gives the CRTC responsibility for developing the code of conduct governing bargaining between digital news intermediaries and news businesses. It also mandates the CRTC to determine whether agreements made outside the bargaining process meet the conditions for exemption."

"According to the Charter Statement on Bill C‑18 prepared by the Minister of Justice, Bill C‑18 is consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. To arrive at this conclusion, the Minister assessed the bill’s potential impacts on freedom of expression (section 2(b)), searches or seizures (section 8) and fair trial rights (section 11)."

It is possible to follow the progress of the bill through both Houses of the federal Parliament on the LEGISinfo website.