Google is opposing a California proposal requiring tech giants to pay media outlets for using their content alongside ads|Shawn Collins|CC BY 2.0
Google is testing removing California news websites from some search results in response to the proposed California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), which requires tech giants like Google and Meta to pay media outlets for using their content alongside ads.
The CJPA, introduced in 2023, is aimed at addressing the decline in journalism jobs and revenue. Major newspapers like The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times have laid off 20% of staff due to financial difficulties. Supporters of the bill argue it would help local news.
Opponents, including Google, view it as a “link tax” that would harm small news organizations and benefit large chains.
Meanwhile, lawmakers argue tech giants benefit financially from news content without compensating publishers adequately.
Not the first
Google’s response mirrors its reactions to similar laws in Canada and Australia, where it threatened to remove news links but later negotiated agreements with governments.
A similar bill called the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) was introduced in Congress in 2021, which faced opposition from Meta and Google.