Testimony of a Google manager postponed due to a technical problem

On Monday, the House of Commons Heritage Committee was scheduled to hear from Sabrina Geremia, Google Canada’s national director, after she and three other executives were subpoenaed days earlier.

Ms Geremia technically responded to the summons by introducing herself, but the committee chair canceled the session before it started due to technical difficulties that prevented some MPs from attending virtually.

The committee plans to invite him to another meeting later this week, hoping not to have to file another subpoena.

Four Google executives were subpoenaed last week after the company confirmed last month it was conducting a five-week trial to restrict access to information for some Canadian users.

The Google leadership refuses to appear

The web giant told The Canadian Press it was studying a possible response to the Liberal government’s proposed Online News Act, which would force tech companies to pay news outlets to reuse their online content or link to it.

The three other executives invited by the committee — Google CEO Sundar Pichai, its president of global affairs Kent Walker, and its vice president of news Richard Gingras — declined to appear.

In response, NDP MP Peter Julian said he planned to table a motion for the committee to inform the House of Commons that the subpoena had been denied. He said he intends to bring the motion up at the next meeting.

We believe in responsibilityMr Julian argued on Monday, claiming the leaders could have attended virtually for an hour. Google has once again shown extraordinarily poor judgment, and it won’t stop there. You have been subpoenaed, you disobeyed the subpoena and there will be consequences.

The House of Commons does not have the power to subpoena anyone outside of Canada, but committee members decided to take a chance. The House can enforce the subpoena if individuals enter Canada, but that would be an unusual step.

Mark Zuckerberg also refused to appear

This isn’t the first time the CEO of a major tech company has refused to appear before Canadian MPs.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook owner Meta, declined a subpoena from the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in 2019.

The Online News Act, also known as Bill C-18, has created tensions between the Liberal government and some tech giants, including Google and Meta.

It is one of several recently proposed bills, along with the Online Streaming Act and a Hate Crimes Bill, that would include greater regulation of doing business online.

Media company and CCP on the same wavelength

Big Canadian media companies and the Liberal federal government say Bill C-18 would level the playing field for news outlets competing with tech giants for advertising money.

But those companies and the Conservative Party have opposed the law because it doesn’t take the right approach to helping Canada’s media sector, they argue.

Giant Google has said it would rather pay Canadian media through a cash fund than be regulated by the government.

The company argued that it was already one of the biggest funders of journalism because the traffic it sends to news sites helps publishers grow their readership and monetize page views, and because Google has content creation agreements with have more than 150 publications across Canada.

Tyrone Hodgson

Incurable food practitioner. Tv lover. Award-winning social media maven. Internet guru. Travel aficionado.

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