Google started to remove California news websites from select people's search results as a pending state legislature might fine tech giants once approved.
The California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA) requires that search giants like Google should pay media companies for linking their content.
Google Tests California Website Removal Ahead of CJPA Approval
In a blog post, Google announced that it will conduct a "short-term test for a small percentage of users" by removing links to California news websites. According to the company, the experiment will measure the impact of the legislation on their product experience.
In addition, the company also shared that it would pause new investments in the California news industry. This includes partnership initiatives with news organizations, along with its licensing program.
"It would favor media conglomerates and hedge funds-who've been lobbying for this bill-and could use funds from CJPA to continue to buy up local California newspapers, strip them of journalists, and create more ghost papers that operate with a skeleton crew to produce only low-cost, and often low-quality, content," said Jaffer Zadi, VP for global news partnerships.
CJPA's Implication to Tech Giants, Journalism
According to the CJPA, the bill will require big tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook to give a percentage of their advertising revenue to media companies for linking their content. As of writing, there are no specific percentages on how much money companies would have to pay.
On the other hand, the bill seeks to stop the disappearing industry of journalism. Since the surge of the digital age, several legacy media companies have struggled to remain profitable today.
Democratic Assemblymember Buff Wicks, the bill's author, detailed that more than 100 news organizations in California were shut down in the past decade.
"This is a bill about basic fairness - it's about ensuring that platforms pay for the content they repurpose," Wicks stated. He also shared that they are committed to negotiating with Google and other companies to secure the future of California journalists.
