Google is removing links to California news websites, here’s why

Taking a stance against a proposed California law, Google has announced that it will begin removing links to California news websites from search results for some Californians. The company said that the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), which will require it to pay news publishers when linking to their articles, will disrupt its ability to connect Californians with news and harm the state’s media landscape.

The company claims that the law will benefit large media corporations and hedge funds at the expense of smaller publishers. The bill was introduced last year and is pending in the state legislature.

“As we’ve shared when other countries have considered similar proposals, 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,” said Jaffer Zaidi, VP, Global News Partnerships.

Google argued that by helping people find news stories, it helps publishers of all sizes grow their audiences at no cost to them. It also said that CJPA would also put small publishers at a disadvantage and limit consumers’ access to a diverse local media ecosystem.

Google to test removal of news links with small groupTo prepare for possible CJPA implications, Google is a short-term test for a small percentage of users in California.

“The testing process involves removing links to California news websites, potentially covered by CJPA, to measure the impact of the legislation on our product experience,” Zaidi added.

The company is also pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem, including new partnerships through Google News Showcase, product and licensing program for news organisations, and planned expansions of the Google News Initiative.

The company urged the lawmakers to take a different approach to “avoid an outcome where all parties lose and the California news industry is left worse off.”