Google has agreed to compensate Canadian publishers for using their news content, effectively averting a potential news blackout in the country.
This decision comes after months of negotiations between Google and the Canadian government, which had introduced legislation requiring tech giants to pay publishers for their work.
The Online News Act, or Bill C-18, was passed by the Canadian Parliament in June 2023 and is set to take effect in December. The Act mandates that tech platforms like Google and Facebook negotiate fair compensation deals with news publishers for using their content.
Google initially resisted the legislation, threatening to block news content from its search results in Canada. However, after reaching an agreement with the government, the company has reversed its stance and agreed to pay publishers for their work.
