A representative for the tech giant Meta said Monday that the company plans to block access to Canadian news content on its platforms if Parliament passes Bill C-18, which mandates that the company pay news publishers for hosting content. “Ultimately, this legislation puts Meta in an unfavourable situation. In order to comply, we have to…

The Conservatives are demanding that the House of Commons hold an emergency debate on Bill C-11 over concerns that the Liberal government previously attempted to have certain online content be taken down for containing misinformation or being offensive. Conservative MP and Canadian Heritage critic Rachael Thomas submitted a letter to House Speaker Anthony Rota on April…

Commentary Canada’s first wave of internet speech regulation was poised to pass in the Senate this week but not before it was rhetorically demolished by one of the nation’s leading authors. “The idea of any hierarchical politico deciding what a man or woman is allowed to write to fit a proscribed national agenda is a…

The federal government has granted $1.2 million in funding to 16 new research projects intended to “counter online disinformation and other online harms and threats,” some of which are described as “alt-right” or “credibility attacks on journalists.” The 16 projects were selected following an annual call for proposals launched in July 2022 by the Digital Citizen Contribution Program…

An audit of purchasing practices in Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez’s department finds, among several findings, there is no governance committee that “actively provide[s] guidance and oversight over procurement activities.” The findings are the results of an audit conducted by the internal audit function of the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH), which were compiled as a…

An audit of purchasing practices in Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez’s department has found there is no governance committee that “actively provide[s] guidance and oversight over procurement activities.” This and other findings are the result of an audit conducted by the internal audit function of the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH), which were compiled in the…

It’s Bob Nicholson’s turn to be grilled by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. The former Hockey Canada executive is scheduled to speak before members of Parliament today as the federal government continues its examination of Hockey Canada. The national sports body has been mired in controversy for months after the organization mishandled sexual assault…

Former government-funded consultant Laith Marouf, whose group’s funding was pulled because of deragotary tweets with comments such as “Jewish white supremacists,” says Heritage Canada “begged” his group to take over $130,000 in funding. Marouf, a senior consultant working for the Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC) in Montréal, said Minister Pablo Rodriguez’s department of Canadian Heritage initially approached…

Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen says he wishes he had been able to move more quickly to end the federal government’s ties to the Community Media Advocacy Centre after a Liberal caucus colleague first raised concerns about the group this summer. The House of Commons heritage committee is studying the organization’s funding agreement with…

Government subsidies to Canadian media outlets are eroding the public’s trust in reporters, MPs on the House of Commons Heritage Committee were told on Sept. 27 while reviewing Bill C-18. “Bill C-18 will permanently entrench the industry’s dependency not on the loyalty of citizens, readers and viewers but upon the good graces of politicians,” Peter…