Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure Canadians that they are absolutely right to trust our Liberal government to protect their rights.
Bill C‑11 modernized the Broadcasting Act to ensure that digital platforms, which play such an important role in how Canadians get their music and stories online, contribute fairly to supporting Canadian content. This bill in no way gave the government control over YouTube algorithms.
In fact, our government asked the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, not to impose regulatory requirements on online broadcasters for content by social media creators, including podcasts.
Even though my colleague does not see the connection with Bill C‑11 and Bill C‑18, I will explain them. Bill C‑11 also requires the CRTC to regulate the broadcasting system in a manner consistent with the freedom of expression enjoyed by users of social media services.
It is the same concern with freedom of expression that motivates Bill C-18's requirement that tech giants that act as gatekeepers of online news must negotiate fairly with the new businesses that inform Canadians. News outlets play a vital role in maintaining a healthy democracy.
The Online News Act was passed in December 2023 to support Canada's news sector and ensure that Canadians have access to reliable news and journalism. It aims to ensure that dominant platforms like Google and Facebook compensate new organizations when their content is made available on their services.
Google actively participated in the regulatory process and agreed to make an annual financial contribution of $100 million, indexed to inflation, to support the Canadian information ecosystem.
To date, more than $48 million was paid out to 231 news publishers, including small local and independent media outlets.
Unfortunately, even if OECD members have engaged with these platforms, they are still not accountable or transparent regarding how harmful content is managed, and that is the point. We know that social media platforms are being used to threaten, intimidate, bully and harass people. They are being used to promote racist, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, misogynist and homophobic views that target communities, put people's safety at risk and undermine Canada's social cohesion and our democracy. Social media platforms are also used by predators and offenders to exploit children.
Conservatives like to pretend that any attempt at addressing online harms is an affront to freedom, yet we know for a fact that four in 10 Canadians are exposed to online hate on a monthly or weekly basis. Conservative politicians need to stop hiding behind false outrage and join us in ensuring that Canadians feel safe in their communities.
Our Liberal government campaigned on a clear commitment to introduce legislation to protect children from horrific crimes, including online sexploitation and extortion, and give law enforcement and prosecutors the tools to stop these crimes and bring predators to justice. Canadians elected us to deliver on that.
Our Minister of Justice recently introduced the bill to combat hate, a legislative measure aimed at combatting the rise of hate by strengthening measures against hate crimes, intimidation, and obstruction.
We will never compromise Canadians' ability to express themselves online.