Google to block Canadian news, following Meta’s lead

Google announced its intention to block Canadian news on its platform within Canada in response to a new law requiring payments to local news publishers. This decision follows a similar move by Facebook’s owner Meta. The law, known as the Online News Act or Bill C-18, aims to regulate internet giants like Google and Facebook to support the struggling Canadian media industry. The law would mandate deals between the platforms and news businesses, potentially providing the news industry with millions of dollars in revenue. 

However, Google and Facebook argue that the proposed legislation is unsustainable for their businesses and has threatened to limit news availability in Canada. The Canadian government has resisted changing the law and accused the tech companies of employing ‘bullying tactics‘.

Google’s president of global affairs stated that the law is unworkable, and the company will remove links to Canadian news from its search, news, and discover products in Canada. Additionally, Google will end its News Showcase program in the country. 

Google believes that the law places a financial burden on news story links displayed in search results and can even apply to outlets that do not produce news. The company proposed that payment be based on the display of news content rather than links and eligibility be limited to businesses that adhere to journalistic standards.