The CJPA aims to require platforms like Google to pay publishers for the links and snippets of news articles shown in search results and news feeds. “We have long said that this is the wrong approach to supporting journalism,” stated a Google spokesperson. The company fears that if the bill passes, it would drastically alter the services it can provide to Californians and the traffic it can direct to local publishers.
Google claims that the bill would primarily benefit large media conglomerates and hedge funds that have been lobbying for its passage. These groups might use the funds from CJPA to buy and gut local newspapers, leading to a rise in “ghost papers” staffed by skeleton crews, producing minimal and often subpar content. According to Google, this could also disadvantage smaller publishers and restrict consumer access to a diverse range of local media.
