On June 30, 2025 DOC joined a coalition of civil society organizations in signing an open letter urging the federal government to stand up to foreign tech giants and protect Canada’s digital future.

The letter expresses deep concern over the government’s recent decision to halt and repeal the Digital Services Tax, which gives multinational tech companies a $2.5 billion windfall this year alone. These companies continue to extract enormous value from Canada’s economy without paying their fair share, while threatening the sustainability of Canadian journalism, media, and cultural expression.

The letter calls on the government to:

• (i) Find ways to use foreign tech giants’ massive untaxed profits to fund homegrown alternatives, despite proposing that Parliament repeal the Digital Services Tax Act
• (ii) Strengthen Canada’s digital sovereignty in trade negotiations and in undertaking a reset of Canada’s forward digital policy agenda, and
• (iii) Make no further concessions to foreign tech giants, including on legislation passed by Parliament (the Online Streaming Act, Online News Act) or in addressing urgent matters including combatting online harms, regulating artificial intelligence, ensuring the integrity of the information environment (including for health information), protecting privacy, among other measures to rein in foreign tech giants’ negative impacts on our economy and society.

The open letter was also featured in The Toronto Star. We encourage DOC members to help amplify its message by sharing the letter and article within their networks. We stand with our peers across sectors to advocate for the protection Canada’s digital future.