The U.S. State Department has sharply criticized Canada’s Online News Act in a new human rights report, framing it as a restriction on press freedom — a characterization Canadian experts are calling deeply misleading. The legislation, enacted in 2023, compels tech giants Meta and Google to compensate Canadian publishers for using their content. While Meta responded by blocking news on its platforms, Google established a $100 million fund that is now paying Canadian outlets.
The report, which also targets Canada’s Online Streaming Act, sparked condemnation from media and policy scholars who say the measures are designed to support journalism, not suppress it. Carleton University professor Fen Hampson accused the U.S. of waging a calculated campaign to protect big tech profits, describing the report’s framing as “a web of deception and misinformation worthy of George Orwell.” Alfred Hermida, a journalism professor at the University of British Columbia, likened the approach to “doublethink” from Orwell’s 1984, saying it twists efforts to bolster press freedom into perceived threats.
The State Department document, while acknowledging Canada “generally” respects free expression, claimed “significant curtailments” remain. It objected to government journalism tax credits, funding programs, and diversity-focused hiring streams — the latter criticized as discriminatory against those outside targeted groups. Supporters counter that such initiatives address long-standing inequities in a media landscape historically dominated by white men.
The criticism comes amid broader U.S. political pressure, with some Republicans urging the Trump administration to push Canada to repeal both the Online News Act and the Online Streaming Act. Prime Minister Mark Carney recently signaled openness to revisiting the news law but maintains its implementation continues.