With the start of a new academic year and a rebranding of The Navigator, excitement was bubbling within those of us involved in the production of the online magazine. However, in mid-August things amidst this ‘new wave’ took a turn. 

The future of news accessibility in Canada is up in the air, and many Canadians may not be aware of the changes occurring. 

New legislation in Canada has effectively removed our ability to advertise on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and, in the near future, Google. While The Nav searches for alternative methods of reaching our audience, the effects of Bill C-18 present a bigger question: what does this mean for all news in Canada?

On June 22, 2023, Trudeau’s government successfully passed Bill C-18: the Online News Act. Once it is fully implemented—before December 19, 2023—and regulated, Bill C-18 will effectively reshape the relationship between dominating social media platforms and journalism in Canada. According to the liberal minority government, the purpose of the Act is to reattribute advertising profits from social media platforms while adequately compensating Canadian journalism. 

Currently, journalism is shared widely through social media, without regulations. News articles are linked, posted, and reposted freely. This has caused a fall in the number of subscribers to journals and magazines. 

In an attempt to solve this issue, Bill C-18 requires social media platforms to pay the original news source every time an article, video, or link is shared. This substantial profit for the journalism industry will—in theory—address the longstanding digital transformation challenges threatening journalists and ensure the longevity of Canadian journalism. 

While this new reality does not seem to negatively impact the average person, the response from affected social media platforms certainly will. 

After Bill C-18 received Royal Assent, social media platforms Meta (Facebook) and Google both claimed they would effectively block Canadian news rather than conform to the introduced regulations. Simply, this means there will no longer be any news content available for Canadians on Facebook, Instagram, or Google. 

While the government frames these regulations as beneficial to the average Canadian, social media platforms such as Google have spoken out against it, referring to it as a “link tax” that will cause immense struggle for Canadians trying to find accurate news. Additionally, social media platforms insist that the regulations are counterintuitive: by regulating the ability to post and repost news stories in their various forms, it is likely that the news itself will reach a more limited audience. 

So, what do Candadians think of the new bill? Though the majority of Canadians—around 61%—agree companies should be compensating journalists, 63% of Canadians also foster significant concerns regarding their ability to access news. And rightfully so: evidence suggests that although Canadians over the age of 64 will likely be unaffected due to their current use of more traditional news sources, the rest of the population prefers to access news through the sources that will be jeopardized by C-18. 

In an era where misinformation is rampant, it is troubling that Canadians may struggle to access news on platforms that provide nearly all of the information on social media. Political criticism of Bill C-18 accuses the government of media welfare and overall censorship, comparing it to the society in George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984. 

While the reality of the implemented bill might not be quite so extreme, its impact should be undeniably concerning for young Canadians: journalism and the accessibility of news is a key piece of democracy and interfering with this democratic right in any way should not go unnoticed.

Fortunately, however, there is still hope for amendments to the bill. 

In 2021, Australia initiated a similar legislative process in hope to reinvigorate the dying journalism industry. After the initial enactment of Australia’s version of Bill C-18, Meta temporarily blocked all news on their various platforms. But future deals negotiating the “link tax” between the government and media platforms were reached, allowing news to be unblocked on the well-used platforms. Although the Australian regulations did not have the desired financial effect on the depleting industry—which is still struggling—the overall outcomes were undeniably less serious for those trying to access news. 

While the future of accessible news in Canada is unclear, the government assures us that the regulations will be implemented with or without the support of social media platforms. Going forward, many Canadians may find themselves actively searching for a new way of finding news. 

One solution is to go straight to the websites of platforms themselves, where you will continue to be able to access current news content. 

Additionally, at The Navigator, we are doing our best to combat these new legislative changes by being present on campus, where you will find us attending events, putting up posters, and repping our new merch. Also keep an eye out for our new newsletter that will be coming out soon, and follow us on TikTok—@thenavigatorviu