The House of Commons passed a bill that obliges web giants to compensate journalists for republishing their content. Meta took the news harshly and threatened to remove news content from Facebook in Canada, CBC reports.

What does the creator of this idea think?

Pablo Rodriguez, who is the federal heritage minister, says the bill will “increase fairness” in the digital news market by creating a framework and contracting process through which companies like Google and Meta, which own social networking sites Facebook and Instagram, can pay media outlets.

Pablo Rodriguez stands firmly behind the belief that he is making these reforms for the sake of protecting the future of a free and independent press. He argues that it is about ensuring that Canadians have access to fact-based information and protecting the strength of their democracy.

But what does the bill actually include? 

The bill provides for the creation of a system, overseen by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which would have the power to impose administrative monetary penalties on companies that do not comply with its provisions.

Is there a solution? 

Companies can exempt themselves from the contracting process set out in the proposed legislation, known as Bill C-18, provided they have agreements with media outlets that meet certain criteria.