Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge has called on the United States to stand alongside Canada in regulating tech giants like Meta to safeguard the news industry. Speaking at the Center for Journalism and Liberty at the Open Markets Institute, St-Onge stressed the need for G7 nations, including Canada and the US, to unite to protect their democracies from the influence of companies like Meta, which have significant control over citizens' online experiences.

Why does it matter?

This appeal comes after Meta's recent removal of news content in Canada, which St-Onge sees as a broader message to the world. While Canada has already passed the Online News Act requiring tech companies to compensate news publishers, a similar bill in the US has led Meta to threaten to remove news content in the country. As governments grapple with regulating tech companies, the need for a coordinated approach among nations becomes increasingly evident in safeguarding the news industry and the democratic process.