Evidence of meeting #22 for Canadian Heritage in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was facebook.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
Again, no, I don't think so.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
You don't think so. Okay.
You asked the department in charge of your regulations to share a job offer for Facebook with details of the salary conditions, and you.... Yes. Okay. I just wanted to make that clear.
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
If I may, ma'am.... It's important, because we do care about facts and the truth.
Mr. Chair, I would like to say one thing, if I may.
I would just like to say that, in the opening, I believe, Madam McPherson, with all due respect, the use of the term “job offer” is false. It is a distortion of the truth—
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
Ma'am, it was a job poster that was public, that was circulated to everybody far and wide on social media, on various platforms. I will remind you that it is obviously an open job poster. Nobody—
11:35 a.m.
NDP
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
Ma'am, nobody was interviewed from Canadian Heritage—
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
That's not really the point, though, Mr. Chan, with all due respect.
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
Ma'am, the facts are important, and it is important that we show love and courage to people when we bring them before the committee. I would want to be very respectful to you, but again I—
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Okay, Mr. Chan, I'm going to carry on with some other questions. I will just point out that, as has been brought up already, my job as the opposition is to ask some questions that may be difficult for you.
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
We are here to answer them, ma'am, but we will answer them based on truth, with love and courage—
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
In the Canadian market, Mr. Chan, what was the net profit made by Facebook during the year 2020?
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
I'm not aware of that number, ma'am.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Excluding payroll taxes, how much tax did Facebook [Technical difficulty—Editor]?
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
I'm not aware of that, but I also believe it's commercially confidential, ma'am.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
For the year 2020, what was your advertising revenue with Canadian media content in Canada?
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
With media content, it would be zero, ma'am.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Professor Jean-Hugues Roy estimated that Facebook's advertising revenue in Canada related to journalistic content was approximately $210 million. Concerning this estimate, Mr. Chan, you responded via a written statement to the media that these estimates are wrong. If this is the case, what is the real number?
I would just point out, I guess, that it would be irresponsible of you to question the work of a researcher if you don't actually have that number.
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
Well, ma'am, I believe you're referring to Professor Jean-Hugues Roy at UQAM.
This is a professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
I had a conversation with Professor Hugues afterwards, which he then subsequently wrote into an article. He agreed with me.
He said his analysis was flawed.
Again, as I explained to Professor Roy, we do not make money. Ads are not placed next to news articles to make money. That's not how our ad products work.
Ma'am, I took a look at your Facebook page through our ad library just this morning, and I know you were running ads as late as yesterday, so you'll appreciate that you don't have an option to put ads next to news articles.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I'm wondering, though, how you can say it was incorrect without actually having some of those numbers that you can share with us.
11:35 a.m.
Global Director and Head of Public Policy, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
It's because, ma'am, again, that's not how the platform works. I just explained to you—as you will know, having run ads as late as yesterday—that you do not have an option to put ads next to news articles.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
You don't have any of the commitments that you can say that the number that was provided was incorrect.
11:35 a.m.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Alain Rayes
Thank you, Mr. Chan.
Ms. McPherson, since the witnesses are here for two hours, you're going to have an opportunity to ask them more questions and get clarification.
We will now begin the second round of questions. The segments will be five minutes each.
Without further delay, I recognize my colleague Mr. Shields.
March 29th, 2021 / 11:35 a.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome back to our committee.
I think it was Mr. Dinsdale who referred to the $5,000 specifically that went to local media to cover COVID. Does he have a list that he can supply us, with all of those? I have nine weeklies in my riding, so I would be very interested to see that list.
11:35 a.m.
Head, Media Partnerships, Facebook Canada, Facebook Inc.
I believe the list was probably disclosed in one of our blog posts, but we can certainly follow up with you directly and supply the committee with the full list.