(OTTAWA) The Commons Canadian Heritage Committee decided on Monday to summon Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whose company operates Facebook and Instagram.
The move came after Meta announced last week its intention to block news on its social media platforms if the Online News Act is passed in its current form in Ottawa.
Bill C-18 would force digital giants to pay Canadian media outlets for links to their journalistic content, or any other use of their online news.
The Heritage Committee agreed on Monday to summon Mr. Zuckerberg, along with the company’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, and Meta Canada executive Chris Saniga, to appear at an upcoming meeting.
The parliamentary committee is also requesting the filing of internal documents from Meta and Google, which recently blocked access to news for some Canadian users to test a possible response to Bill C-18.
The committee also agreed on Monday to undertake a new review into what it considers to be the abuse of power by tech giants around the world.