Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Why Justin Trudeau is Wrong About Bill C-18 and Google's Response to Mandated Payments for Links

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

I agree with Michael Geist here. It is not the case that Google is "preventing access" by removing links to Canadian news organizations. "Google does not have the power to prevent anyone from accessing third party websites." Indeed, it makes it clear that search is a service offered by Google to news publishers. I also, like Geist, argue that creating a rule demanding sites pay to be able to link fundamentally breaks the internet. And we both question the selection mechanism determining what counts as 'eligible news businesses'. My site is too small to matter, but if it weren't, I wonder whether it would be thought of as a news provider or a search service.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Nov 21, 2024 3:02 p.m.

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