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I don't follow how some supposed "experts" on the Internet claim that Canada's Online News Act threatens to 'disrupt' the free flow of information on the Internet. There is no free flow of information on the Internet at the moment. /1
People who are searching for legitimate and credible information or facts, are instead finding misinformation and rage-inducing content that threatens a open and free discussion of ideas. /2
It also strikes me as odd that one of these so-called "experts" also claims that large tech companies don't make money from news content or that efforts to regulate these tech companies is an "overreach" /3
These tech companies rely on people coming to their sights who are searching for real information. If they choose to feed these people garbage in response, this does not mean that the customers are actually searching for this garbage. /4
The tech companies are spreading misinformation when they suggest that news content only accounts for 2 or 3% of their traffic. /5
Because this means that they consider someone searching for credible information about a topic such as the climate crisis or vaccines is actually there because they want to consume conspiracy theory content. This is a dark view of their own product. /6
The truth is that someone who is logging onto a platform is someone searching for the truth. /7
The tech companies and the so-called "experts" are also providing misleading information when they say there are no provisions for them to be "exempt" from the legislation. In fact, all they need to do to be exempt is to negotiate a fair deal with legitimate media outlets. /8
In the meantime, these companies are threatening to use a dominant market position to cause harm to other businesses and organizations. We have a regulator called the Competition Bureau in Canada and I urge them to investigate.
oops. that should be *sites!
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