Trudeau backs Australia against Facebook

In his stand-off against Facebook, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau backed his Australian decision to remove the news from its platform last week.

The two prime ministers agreed to “coordinate their work to address online vulnerability and to share the revenue of web giants more equally with creators and the media,” Mr Trudeau said in a press release on Tuesday.

As part of talks with the Australian state, Facebook decided last week to ban its Australian users from sharing news.

The strategy of the talks was to punish the government, which, among other things, demanded a better share of the revenue from the country’s newspapers and media.

The Australian media ecosystem, like all major democracies, has been greatly impoverished by the rise of GAFAMs, and these American web giants are ranked globally in the country’s economy and level.

Facebook changed its tune on Tuesday after signing a deal with the Australian government, forcing the company to co-operate financially for journalistic content, but allowing the company to negotiate at will. Own contracts and choosing which media to allow on the platform.

In Canada, all eyes are on Heritage Minister Steven Gilbolt, who is set to unveil a long-awaited version of the laws governing GAFAM in the coming months. Mr Gilbolt has repeatedly declared his support for Australia’s initiative, calling Facebook’s strategy “extremely irresponsible”.

Leading players in Canada’s cultural and media sectors have indicated their support for the minister’s initiative.

Mr. Gilbolt has already met with leaders of other countries that have web giants, including Australia, France, Germany and Finland. They discussed the possibility of forming a united front to strengthen their position in the talks.