Here’s why Google is removing links to California news websites

Google Takes Stand Against Proposed California Law Impacting News Links

In a bold move against the proposed California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), Google has announced that it will start removing links to California news websites from search results for some Californians. The tech giant argues that the law, which would require it to pay news publishers for linking to their articles, would disrupt its ability to connect Californians with news and harm the state’s media landscape.

According to Jaffer Zaidi, VP of Global News Partnerships at Google, the CJPA would benefit large media corporations and hedge funds at the expense of smaller publishers. Google believes that the uncapped financial exposure created by the law would be unworkable and create business uncertainty that no company could accept.

To gauge the potential impact of the legislation, Google is conducting a short-term test for a small percentage of users in California, removing links to news websites that could be affected by the CJPA. The company is also pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem, including new partnerships through Google News Showcase and planned expansions of the Google News Initiative.

Google is urging lawmakers to reconsider the proposed law and take a different approach to avoid negative consequences for all parties involved. The company believes that by helping people find news stories, it supports publishers of all sizes and contributes to a diverse local media ecosystem.