Google says it will offer some of its top executives to testify before a parliamentary committee.

In a statement, the company said it intends to work constructively with the Heritage Committee, which is investigating Google’s actions after the Silicon Valley giant conducted a five-week test that blocked links to news for some of its Canadian users. The test ended on Thursday.

According to the company, the test aimed to assess the impact of a potential response to Bill C-18, the Liberal government’s controversial online communications platform law.

A spokesman said Google would make its president of global affairs and chief legal officer, Kent Walker, and its vice president of news, Richard Gingras, available to meet with the committee. A date has not been set.

Both declined a subpoena from the committee earlier this month.

“We are always committed to working constructively with Canadian MPs and the Canadian government on regulatory issues,” a Google spokesman said in a statement.

The head of Google Canada appeared in her place, but Google acknowledges that committee members still have questions they want answered.

Liberal MPs recently voiced dissatisfaction with Google and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.

On February 9, Google began its five-week test that limited access to news to less than 4% of its Canadian users. Affected users could not access message links in Google search engine and Discover platform on Android phones.

The company said the test applies to news of all types, including content created by Canadian broadcasters and newspapers.

Meta also announced last week that it would block messages on Facebook and Instagram if the government’s proposed Online News Act is passed in its current form.

Tech giants like Meta and Google have long campaigned against elements of the proposed law that would require them to negotiate deals to compensate Canadian media companies for linking their online content or for any other form of repurposing that content. Google said it prefers to contribute to a media fund.

Major Canadian media groups and the Liberal federal government have backed the bill, saying it would level the playing field for news outlets competing with tech companies for advertising money.

On Monday, three days before US President Joe Biden’s visit to Ottawa, lawmakers on the Liberal Legacy Committee plan to solicit internal documents from the two US companies while also inviting their executives to appear.

Canadian American Business Council CEO Maryscott Greenwood believes Parliament has gone too far in its call for internal documents.

“The precedent that is being set is quite disturbing when it comes to fruition,” Ms Greenwood said on Saturday from Washington DC.

Liberal MPs on the committee also want to present a new study “on the current and ongoing use of intimidation and subversion tactics by tech giants to circumvent regulation in Canada and around the world.”

Chris Bittle, parliamentary secretary to the Canadian Heritage Minister, shared the Liberals’ proposed motion on Twitter.

“The actions of tech giants have real consequences for our society and our democracy. Their recent bullying tactics go a little too far, Mr Bittle said. Tech giants are not above the law. »

Note to readers: In the previous version of this release, The Canadian Press stated that the name of the CEO of the Canadian American Business Council was Scotty Greenwold and that he was male. Her real name is Maryscott Greenwood and she is a woman.

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