Canada: Adopted Online News Act (Bill C-18) Application and Exemption Regulations

On 15 December 2023, the Government of Canada published the final regulations to implement the Online News Act (Bill C-18). The final regulations lay out the criteria for platforms subject to the Act. In particular, they must achieve a global revenue of at least CAD 1 billion per year, "operate in a search engine or social media market involving the distribution and access of online news content in Canada", and "operate in a strategic market identified above and have 20 million or more Canadian average monthly unique visitors or Canadian average monthly active users". Also, the regulations set a self-notification timeline for platforms to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and outline criteria for exemptions from mandatory bargaining and arbitration provisions. Further, the final regulations include measures requiring platforms to engage with news businesses, ensuring a minimum contribution to support Canadian news, defining fair agreements, and protecting journalistic independence.