California politicians are pushing a bill requiring Google and Meta to pay news publishers when their articles are displayed on search results.
Assembly Bill 886, or the California Journalism Preservation Act, forces Google to pay news publishers for using their articles. It is currently being considered by the state Senate Judiciary Committee.
The major companies are aiming to block the bill. They claim that the law would establish a link tax that will affect the free flow of information online.
Google is taking more active measures of resistance by blocking California-based news links from appearing in search results entirely. In a blog post, the firm named the action a short-term test.
According to a Californian democratic state senator, the firm’s threat is dangerous and demonstrates extraordinary hubris. The bill’s sponsor also mentioned that the tactic is abusing power.
An expert said Google’s actions prove that the law is needed amid significant risks of information’s free flow being cut.
Moreover, the tech giant gained over $300.00 billion last year, mostly from advertising unpaid content it did not create. In recent years, it has aimed to make people stay on its site so that it can generate earnings.
In addition, the issue showcases the ongoing clash between tech companies and the news industry.
Wallet App from Google Available to Indian Android Users
Google Wallet rolled out for Android users in India, allowing them to access its contactless payment features.
The application tokenizes debit and credit cards and stores them securely to execute contactless payments.
The Wallet app’s features in India are limited to contactless payments, while Google Pay offers UPI payment services. However, the company will still offer both apps to the country to cater to different types of users.
Additionally, select Android smartphone users can avail the Wallet app from the Play Store. Moreover, users can download it on eligible WearOS-powered smartwatches and make contactless payments directly from the gadget.
