Senator Dasko: In September, the polling firm Leger surveyed Canadians about aspects of Bill C-18 and found that 59% of Canadians want Meta to lift its ban on Canadian news on its platforms. More specifically with respect to Meta, is the government still attempting to engage with Meta? Has the government engaged with Meta regarding that company’s decision to block Canadians from viewing or sharing news content? Or has the government basically given up on Meta?

Senator Gold: Thank you. They have not given up. As the polls suggest, Canadians expect the tech giants to pay their fair share and to support news and information sharing in Canada on their platforms. Meta’s decisions are unfortunate, reckless and irresponsible, particularly affecting Canadians who will have come to rely upon their news through those platforms. I’m assured the government remains open to discussions and has sought to work collaboratively with Meta during this period.

[Translation]