Google has begun restricting access to news articles for some users in California in response to the pending California Journalism Preservation Act, which would require tech giants like Google and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to pay publishers for news content.that in a show of its immense power and influence, Google announced on Friday that it has started blocking news articles from California-based news organizations for an unspecified number of state residents who use the search engine.
The CJPA, sponsored by Democratic Assembly member Buffy Wicks, aims to provide support to California’s struggling news industry. Over the past decade, at least 100 news organizations in the state have closed their doors, and nationwide, more than 20,000 media jobs were cut in 2022 alone. Advocates of the bill argue that it would ensure basic fairness by requiring platforms like Google and Meta, which have amassed huge profits from digital advertising, to pay for the news content they utilize.
This is not the first time Google and Meta have employed hardball tactics in response to efforts requiring them to financially support the ailing news industry. In Canada and Australia, both companiesto pull news links or block news stories entirely after the passage of similar legislation. While deals were eventually struck in those countries, Meta continues to block news articles on Instagram and Facebook in Canada.