The irony of #BillC18 and #Meta: Many media websites still use the Facebook pixel and encourage readers to follow them on Facebook! Bill C-18 specifically targets Facebook and Google, requiring them to negotiate compensation agreements with Canadian news organizations for the use of their content. The goal is to ensure fair revenue sharing between these platforms and media organizations that distribute news articles, videos, and other content. In response, Meta decided to block news links to Canadians, which is seen as a challenge to democracy. It also presents an opportunity for Meta to argue against similar actions by other jurisdictions, such as California. I see several issues with Bill C-18: 1) The scope is too narrow, focusing primarily on Facebook and Google. 2) Negotiating with numerous media organizations can be complex. 3) The auditing and distribution of compensation funds pose challenges. IMHO, an alternative solution could involve: a) Requiring any company operating in Canada to pay its fair share of income taxes. b) Utilizing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on ad purchases made on Facebook and Google to estimate their revenue in Canada. c) Imposing income taxes or a special tax for a media fund based on this estimated revenue. This approach would simplify the process and grant the government the power to enforce it. Facebook would have no incentive to block news content, would demonstrate good corporate citizenship (cough! cough!) and potentially recover lost business resulting from boycotts (although the impact of those boycotts is very minimal!). #news #media #Canada #mediafund