By Canadian Press

Struggling media could get lift from Competition Bureau digital review: group

Sep 5, 2019 | 10:35 AM

VANCOUVER — Media association says Competition Bureau examination of digital giants like Facebook and Google could give struggling companies a lift.

The president of News Media Canada says his association, which represents hundreds of news organizations, has been pushing the government for years to level the playing field between digital players and legacy media.

John Hinds says the Competition Bureau’s announcement yesterday to seek information from the public and businesses on what companies in the digital economy may be doing to harm competition is better late than never.

Hinds says traditional media has been decimated by the rise of digital players in Canada, which have diverted advertising dollars, as well as benefited from current taxation and copyright laws, and the ability to gather massive amounts of consumer data.

He says any information gleaned could lead to an investigation and regulatory or legislative change.

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Hinds points to an inquiry by the bureau’s Australian counterpart that examined the impact of digital companies, predominantly Google and Facebook, on advertisers, media and consumers as a good example for how to tackle the problem.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released a more than 600-page report in June with 23 recommendations that included developing and implementing a platform-neutral regulatory framework for all companies that produce or deliver content in the country, and providing stable and adequate funding for public broadcasters.

The Canadian Press