The Government's Retribution for Objecting to Bill C-18's Mandated Payments for Links

Investigating big tech is welcome. Snooping on Canadians’ communications is not.

Michael Geist @mgeist

The government’s demand that more than 3 years of private third-party communications be turned over by Meta or Google to a Commons committee about any Canadian regulation is genuinely frightening. This is more than just retribution for objecting to link payments in Bill C-18. 1/8

Michael Geist @mgeist

There is value in investigating Internet platforms for anti-competitive behaviour or privacy violations. The Privacy Commissioner and Competition Bureau are there to do it. But government committee hearings that sweep in thousands of Canadians’ communications is wrong. 2/8

Michael Geist @mgeist

Are you a YouTuber who wrote to the Internet streamer to learn more about Bill C-11 and get its reaction to the regulation of user content? The committee wants Google to disclose your private communications. 3/8

Michael Geist @mgeist

Are you an anti-hate campaigner who wrote to Facebook to learn more about how it would address online harms proposals that would have required them to establish automated reporting to the police? The committee wants Meta to disclose your private communications. 4/8

Michael Geist @mgeist

Are you an independent media site owner that wrote to Instagram to express concern about Bill C-18 and inquire what mandated payments for links might mean for your business plan? The committee wants Meta to disclose your private communications. 5/8

Michael Geist @mgeist

Are you a privacy advocate who wrote to Google about the privacy consent standards in Bill C-27 and to press them on how the right to be forgotten might be addressed in Canada? The committee wants Google to disclose your private communications. 6/8

Michael Geist @mgeist

Are you a researcher who wrote to Google or Meta to request access to data for research into anything from tax policy to police use of social media? The committee wants Google or Meta to disclose your private communications. 7/8

Michael Geist @mgeist

The overbreadth in demanding private third party communications as a response to the companies' reluctance to pay for 35% of all news expenditures in Canada for linking is deeply troubling. Investigating big tech is welcome. Snooping on Canadians’ communications is not. 8/8