Staff Reports
Google, the powerful tech giant, has made a bold move in response to the looming California Journalism Preservation Act. The act is aimed at making platforms like Google and Meta pay for news content, and Google is not having it. So, what did they do? They started restricting access to news articles for some California users who use their search engine. Talk about taking a stand!
The California Journalism Preservation Act is sponsored by Democratic Assembly member Buffy Wicks, and it seeks to prop up the state’s struggling news industry. The bill has some supporters, but Google is not one of them. They’re calling the requirement to pay for news content “unworkable” and are really putting their foot down on this one.
Wow. This is against freedom of speech and keeping news from people. It's wrong!
Google Blocks News in California to Protest Proposed Media Payoff Law https://t.co/zTqekqyHdv
— Punkin (@PatriotPunkin1) April 15, 2024
This isn’t the first time Google and Meta have flexed their muscles when it comes to being asked to support the struggling news industry. In Canada and Australia, they made similar threats to block news links or stories when faced with similar legislation. It’s like they’re saying, “You want us to pay for news content? Fine! We just won’t show any news at all!”
It’s clear that Google is not backing down from this fight, and it seems like they’ve got a history of playing hardball. Will they eventually strike a deal with California, like they did in Canada and Australia? Only time will tell. But for now, it looks like they’re not budging an inch.
