Google Removes Links to California News Sites Ahead of Proposed State Law

Google announced Friday that it would block an undisclosed amount of Californians from accessing news sources from their very own state in response to proposed state legislation.

For Context: Pending legislation known as the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA) would call for tech giants such as Google and Meta to pay publishers for news content accessed on their sites. Google claims to have implemented these measures as a test to see the types of impact the legislation may have on the company. 

Key Quote: Google Vice President Jaffer Zaidi stated in a blog on Friday, “the uncapped financial exposure created by CJPA would be unworkable. If enacted, CJPA in its current form would create a level of business uncertainty that no company could accept.”

Yays & Nays: Proponents of the legislation claim that among the perilous statistics for journalism jobs and small newspapers, payment from tech giants for content access would help to alleviate burdens and propel profits for struggling media firms. Those in opposition, including tech giants such as Google, Meta, and some independent newsrooms, claim that the legislation would merely benefit out-of-state newspaper chains and hedge funds.

How the Media Covered it: Outlets highlighted Google’s opposition to the legislation and showcased the history of this type of opposition in other countries in the past. Breitbart News (Right bias) compared the CJPA legislation to a media cartel bill that continues to be brought back to life by establishment politicians on both sides of the aisle.