Google's Access to California News Sites Limited in Response to Pending Legislation

Google announced it will remove links to California news sites from search results for some users in response to a pending state bill that would require the company to pay publishers. The bill, known as the California Journalism Preservation Act, would mandate tech companies like Google to pay news outlets a "journalism usage fee" when they sell advertising alongside news content. Google is pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem and new partnerships through Google News Showcase until there's clarity on California's regulatory environment. The company argues that the bill would result in significant changes to the services it can offer Californians and the traffic it can provide to California publishers, while supporters of the bill say it would level the playing field for struggling news outlets.