Google announced last Friday that it has already started to block links to California news sites. This unusual move is in response to the new proposed California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA). The pending bill would require tech companies, like Google and Meta, to pay news publishers a “journalism usage fee” for news content.
What are the effects for California?
The new bill also only applies to news outlets and publications based in California. Plus, this news link block only applies to Google users in California. However, as of right now, it’s not clear exactly which California outlets and users are affected by the new block on Google searches for news. Google has only stated that it is testing “a small percentage of California users” by “removing links to California news websites.”
Legislative process
The bill was already approved by the California State Assembly last year. However, there are still a couple of steps left before it becomes a law. First, it needs to pass in the California State Senate. After that, it can be signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Differing viewpoints
The CJPA bill is meant to support the California journalism industry. News outlets around the globe have lost many of its staff and writers in the past years in response to fierce competition from online news sources like those on social media. However, some oppose the bill saying that the new legislation would heavily favor larger news media outlets over smaller ones. It is argued that the CJPA bill would further the imbalance of access to diverse news sources.
Google’s statement
In a blog post released last Friday, Google executive Jaffer Zaidi stated that the pending California Journalism Preservation Act would put the “news ecosystem at risk.” Google also said the new block on Google searches for news in California is “a short-term test” to “prepare for possible CJPA implications.” Additionally, the tech company announced that it is also “pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem” until there is more “clarity on California’s regulatory environment.”
You can read more about Google’s stance on the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA) on their blog post here.