Implementing the Online News Act

The Online News Act (the Act), formerly Bill C-18, became law on June 22, 2023. The Act is intended to help Canadian news organizations reach fair commercial agreements with the largest online platforms, such as search engines and social media sites.

On December 15, 2023, the Department of Canadian Heritage published the Online News Act Application and Exemption Regulations (the Regulations), which help explain which platforms the Act applies to and how they can apply for exemptions.

Information bulletin

Learn more about the procedure that parties like news organizations and online platforms are to use when participating in consultations under the Act.

Our Plan

The Act gives the CRTC the responsibility to administer a new mandatory bargaining process between news organizations in Canada and the largest online platforms that distribute their content. The Regulations also provide a path for platforms to receive an exemption from the mandatory bargaining process if they respect certain criteria.

See the List of digital news intermediaries who have notified the CRTC that the Act applies to them.

2023

June 22: Online News Act (Bill C-18) receives Royal Assent.
December 19: The Online News Act Application and Exemption Regulations come into force.

Spring 2024

Google’s open call to news organizations

April 30: Google holds an open call for news organizations that wish to receive compensation under the Online News Act.
May 27: The CRTC issues an information bulletin about the procedure that parties like news organizations and online platforms must follow when participating in consultations under the Act.
June 7: Google notifies the CRTC that the Online News Act applies to it and files an exemption request. Read Google’s notification (PDF, 336 KB).
June 16: Deadline for platforms to notify the CRTC if the Act applies to them.

Public consultations

Consultation about the regulatory framework for the Online News Act: This consultation looked at how the CRTC will implement the regulatory framework for the Online News Act that will support fair commercial agreements between news organizations in Canada and the largest online platforms that distribute their news content.

Status: Decision issued.
Consultation on Cost Recovery Regulations: This consultation looked at how the CRTC will recover its costs for overseeing the Online News Act and how it will calculate and collect cost recovery charges from online platforms.

Status: Decision issued.

Summer and fall 2024

Public consultation

Consultation about Google’s exemption application: The application for exemption follows an agreement reached by Google and the Canadian Journalism Collective.

Status: Decision issued.
Consultation on the proposed code of conduct for bargaining: This consultation will look at rules for fair bargaining under the Act.

Status: Closed for comments.

Other activities

As required by the Act, the CRTC hired an independent auditor to prepare a report about the impact of the Act on Canada’s digital news marketplace.
The CRTC will recruit qualified independent arbitrators to conduct final offer arbitration between news organizations and online platforms, if required.

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