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☆ Google removes links to California news sites, citing proposed state law requiring payment to publishers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Google is removing links to California news websites in reaction to proposed state legislation requiring big tech companies to pay news outlets for their content, the company announced Friday in a blog post. “It’s time they start paying market value for the journalism they are aggregating at no cost from local media.”Charles F. Champion, the president and CEO of the California News Publishers Association, said Google is suppressing California news. Google has not responded to CNN’s request for comment about the current state of talks with the Canadian government. The company had a similar reaction to a 2021 Australian law that would require platforms to compensate Australian news outlets for using their content. Google said at the time it would pay publishers through its Google News Showcase instead of paying them for links.

Persons: Tempore Mike McGuire, ”, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, “, Charles F, we’ve, CJPA, Jaffer Zaidi Organizations: New, New York CNN, Google, California Journalism, Meta, California, Pro, Tempore, ”, California News Publishers Association, Global, Australian Competition, Consumer Commission Locations: New York, California, America, Canada, Australian, Australia

☆ Google removing links to California news websites as part of test in response to pending legislation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google headquarters is seen in Mountain View, California, United States on May 15, 2023. Google will begin removing links to California news websites from search results for some Californians in response to a bill that would require online ad companies to pay a fee for connecting state residents to news sources. The recent developments have upended many online publishers that count on Facebook and Google for traffic and are particularly painful for publications that rely on advertising revenue. "If passed, CJPA may result in significant changes to the services we can offer Californians and the traffic we can provide to California publishers," Zaidi wrote. Supporters of the California bill say it will help news publishers receive a fair chunk of the ad profits reaped by tech juggernauts like Apple , Google and Meta.

Persons: Jaffer Zaidi, Zaidi Organizations: Google, California Journalism, Facebook, Meta, Google News, Apple Locations: View , California, United States, California, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand

The small, primarily digital newsrooms are members of the Institute for Nonprofit News. On primary nights and the general election, AP will give these outlets ready-to-publish graphics with national and local results, along with information gleaned from talking to voters from AP's VoteCast survey. AP plays a central role tabulating results across the country on election nights, using them to declare winners of contested races, along with seeking an in-depth view of what is on voters' minds. Some larger and national organizations offer consumers detailed election information, but usually don’t have the capacity to cover local races of interest to readers of INN publications, he said. The organization's members have a median of four staffers and $271,000 in revenue, he said.

Persons: David Scott, Jonathan Kealing, ” Kealing, Newsrooms, ” Scott Organizations: Associated, Google News Initiative, Institute for Nonprofit News, AP, Mississippi Free Press, San Antonio, Iowa, New Locations: AP's, Texas, Charlottesville Tomorrow, Virginia, Fresnoland, California, New Hampshire

☆ Google’s Once Happy Offices Feel the Chill of Layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Nico Grant | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Diane Hirsh Theriault’s co-worker returned from lunch to Google’s Cambridge, Mass., office one afternoon in October, his work badge couldn’t open a turnstile. He quickly realized it was a sign that he had been laid off. Ms. Hirsh Theriault soon learned that most of her fellow Google News engineers in Cambridge had also lost their jobs. More than 40 people in the news division were cut, a company union said, though a number of them were later offered jobs elsewhere inside Google. Ms. Hirsh Theriault’s experience is increasingly common at Google, where rolling job cuts in recent months, after a year of significant layoffs, have employees on edge.

Persons: Diane Hirsh Theriault’s, Hirsh Theriault, Hirsh Theriault’s Organizations: Google Locations: Cambridge

☆ Spanish media association files $598 mln lawsuit against Facebook owner Meta
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Meta logo is seen at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Dec 4 (Reuters) - A group representing 83 Spanish media outlets on Monday said it has filed a 550 million euro ($598 million) lawsuit against Facebook owner Meta Platforms (META.O), citing unfair competition in the advertising market. The lawsuit was filed by the AMI newspaper publishing association in a commercial court on Friday, the association said in a statement on Monday. The complaint is the second time Spanish media are challenging tech companies to protect their turf. In 2014, the Spanish government forced the closure of Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google News service until 2022 when new legislation allowing media outlets to negotiate directly with the tech giant was passed.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, El, Inti Landauro, Jakub Olesiuk, David Goodman, Emelia Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Rights, Facebook, Meta, AMI, El Pais, ABC, Google, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, Spanish

☆ Google reaches deal with Canada to keep news content on its platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Google has agreed to pay Canadian publishers for their news content, backing down from a high-stakes threat to block all news content produced in the country on its platforms after the tech giant and the Canadian government announced a deal Wednesday to avert the looming crisis. The agreement resolves tensions between Google and Canada over a controversial law known as C-18 requiring digital platforms to compensate news publishers for their work. The Google agreement marks a departure from the path taken by Instagram-parent Meta, which opted to pull news content from its platforms in Canada in response to C-18. The option for Google to negotiate with a single collective helps address one of the tech giant’s main objections to the law. But how the agreement with Google plays out could potentially shape the course of those policies.

Persons: ”, Pascale St, Onge didn’t, Bill C, Global Affairs Kent Walker, Andy Stone, Meta Organizations: CNN, Google, Canadian, Canadian Heritage, St, of, Global Affairs, Meta Locations: Canada, of Canada

☆ Google's latest job cuts were pretty targeted and reportedly included several 'director decapitations'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The cuts were pretty targeted and made to "streamline" the company, Command Line reported. Google also cut several hundred employees in its recruiting division last month. The company didn't tell Insider exactly how many roles were affected, but roughly three dozen employees seem to have been cut, Command Line reported. At an all-hands meeting on Wednesday following the layoffs, Google News VP, Shailesh Prakash, said the cuts were made to "streamline" the company, Command Line reported, citing unnamed sources. Sources who heard Prakash's comments also told Command Line that he singled out the increase in employees in Level 8 and Level 9 roles.

Persons: —, decapitations, Shailesh Prakash, Prakash Organizations: Google, Command, Service, Google News

☆ Google cut 40 jobs in its news division the same week its CEO promised to focus on content moderation: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google cut an estimated 40 to 45 jobs in its Google News division this week, according to CNBC. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said on Tuesday that content moderation is a "critical focus" for the company right now. The tech giant laid off an estimated 40 to 45 workers at Google News, according to the Alphabet Workers Union, per CNBC. Google and the Alphabet Workers Union did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. We will continue to tackle disinformation, hate speech, graphic content and terrorist content."

Persons: Sundar Pichai, —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Shayan, Michael Bennet Organizations: Google, Google News, CNBC, Service, Alphabet Workers Union, Hamas, BBC, Twitter Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ Google cuts dozens of jobs in news division
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Google cut dozens of jobs in its news division this week, CNBC has learned, downsizing at a particularly sensitive time for online platforms and publishers. An estimated 40 to 45 workers in Google News have lost their jobs, according to an Alphabet Workers Union spokesperson, who didn't know the exact number. A Google spokesperson confirmed the cuts but didn't provide a number, and said there are still hundreds of people working on the news product. The cuts in Google News follow widespread layoffs across many parts of the company this year. In January, Google announced it was cutting 12,000 jobs, affecting roughly 6% of the full-time workforce.

Persons: We're, We've, Sen, Michael Bennet, TikTok, Thierry Breton, Breton, Sundar Pichai, Neal Mohan, Google's, they've Organizations: Google, CNBC, Google News, Alphabet Workers Union, Union, YouTube, EU's Digital Services, LinkedIn Locations: Israel, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, Canada

☆ Google changes user data practices to end German antitrust probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Friederike Heine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Alphabet (GOOGL.O) unit Google has agreed to change its user data practices to end a German antitrust investigation aimed at curbing its data-driven market power, the German cartel office said on Thursday. The German regulator said Google's commitments would give users more choice on how their data is used across the company's platforms. "This not only protects the users' right to determine the use of their data, but also curbs Google's data-driven market power," he said. Google's commitment covers more than 25 other services including Gmail, Google News, Assistant, Contacts and Google TV. It does not apply to Google Shopping, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Search, YouTube, Google Android, Google Chrome and Google's online advertising services, all of which are subject to a new EU legislation called the Digital Markets Act which has similar obligations.

Persons: Arnd, Andreas Mundt, Matthias Williams, Foo Yun Chee, Friederike Heine, Mark Potter Organizations: European Engineering, REUTERS, Rights, Google, Tech, Gmail, Google News, Big Tech, Apple, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland

☆ Google News Blocked in Russia as Feud With Mercenary Leader Intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Nico Grant | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Several Russian internet service providers are preventing users inside the country from accessing Google News after Russian generals accused a mercenary leader, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, of attempting a coup. At least five telecommunications companies — including Rostelecom, U-LAN and Telplus — have blocked Google News, which aggregates news from various sources, according to an analysis from NetBlocks, an internet observatory. Several other internet service providers have begun reducing access as well, according to the analysis. Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for a comment. Late Friday, Russian officials accused Mr. Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, a mercenary organization, of trying to mount a coup against President Vladimir V. Putin, with Russian authorities opening an investigation into Mr. Prigozhin for “organizing an armed rebellion.”Russia’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, said in March 2022 that it would block Google News from the country’s internet users after the company paused advertising in Russia and took steps to block online content that spread false information to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Yevgeny V, Google didn’t, Mr, Prigozhin, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Google, Wagner Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Fact Check-Fox News has not fired Laura Ingraham
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Fox News has not fired host Laura Ingraham, a spokesperson for the network said, calling May 2023 posts on social media that made the claim “false.”Users have shared posts that read: “BREAKING: Laura Ingraham got FIRED from her nightly show on Fox.”Examples can be seen (here), (here), (here). Ingraham continues to host her show, with transcripts of broadcasts as recent as May 25 available on the Fox News website (here). The claims arose in the context of reports (here), (here) that major changes would take place at Fox News after host Tucker Carlson’s exit in April (here). Ingraham joined Fox News in 2007 and has hosted “The Ingraham Angle” since October 2017 (here). A Fox News spokesperson said in May 2023 that Ingraham continues to work at the network.

☆ New York Times to get around $100 million from Google over three years - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - The New York Times (NYT.N) is getting around $100 million from Google over three years as part of a broad deal that allows the Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) unit to feature Times content on some of its platforms, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The deal includes the Times' participation in Google News Showcase, a product that pays publishers to feature their content on Google News and some other Google platforms, according to the report, which cited people familiar with the matter. The Times in February announced an expansion of its agreement with Google that included content distribution and subscriptions. Google and the Times did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Why is the Trump 'hush-money' grand jury taking so @#$%& long? Wrong question, experts say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

An uncanny lack of secrecy surrounds the secret Trump 'hush money' grand jury now underway in NY. Grand jury witnesses, lawyers, and Trump himself are shouting about each other on TV and online. The right question may be, "Why is this supposedly secret grand jury such a honking, spotlit spectacle?" On Friday, an envelope of white powder was sent to Bragg at the office building where the grand jury sits. The grand jury was not there that day, and the powder proved non-hazardous.

☆ Google has long dominated search, and it's about to massively change it to meet the rising threat of ChatGPT. New AI features could intensify battles with content creators.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Thomas Maxwell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Like Microsoft's revamped Bing search engine, Bard is meant to give answers directly within search. The unveiling of its new search chatbot this week is likely to once again raise the question of whether Google is using others' work without fair compensation. The company is incorporating the conversational chatbot technology, known as Bard, into search, first as a small test while the company gathers feedback. Microsoft, which recently announced a multibillion-dollar investment into ChatGPT's creator, OpenAI, similarly intends to incorporate that chatbot into its Bing search engine. Microsoft could face similar headaches as it rolls out its new Bing search engine.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence Greta Thunberg posted explicit tweet which amassed 5 billion likes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Social media users are sharing a screenshot of a tweet allegedly posted by Greta Thunberg, which reads: “bald ass faggot”. The image suggests the fake tweet was shared more than 100 million times and amassed more than 5 billion likes. However, a spokesperson for Thunberg told Reuters that they “can confirm the screenshot is a fake, Greta has not tweeted this”. An advanced Twitter search and archive search for the alleged quote from the environmentalist’s account produced no results (bit.ly/3GCdFZG). There is no evidence Greta Thunberg posted the explicit tweet.

☆ German cartel office ends proceedings against Google News Showcase
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Germany's cartel office has concluded proceedings against Google (GOOGL.O) over its online news service after the tech giant made several changes benefiting publishers, the office said on Wednesday. The office said Google had abandoned plans to integrate the Google News Showcase into general searches and changed its contractual practice to make sure publishers do not face difficulties in asserting their ancillary copyright in response to its concerns. A publisher's participation in the News Showcase will continue not to affect search results, added the office. The cartel office said Google would implement further measures in the coming weeks, including providing more information about Showcase, and that it would continue to monitor this development. Under expanded powers that entered into force last year, the cartel office has taken up cases involving several tech giants, including Amazon (AMZN.O), Apple (AAPL.O) and Facebook owner Meta .

☆ Fact Check-‘Tweet’ suggesting Musk will buy Snapchat is fabricated
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Social media users have been sharing a fabricated image that appears to show a Twitter message from billionaire Elon Musk saying that he will buy Snapchat. An advanced search of Musk’s Twitter feed showed no evidence that he had posted any such remark (here)). A Google news search also showed no reports of Musk saying he would buy Snapchat (here). A screenshot of a tweet by Elon Musk saying he will buy Snapchat “next” is fabricated. Musk did not tweet that he would buy Snapchat.

☆ Google's '20% rule' shows exactly how much time you should spend learning new skills—and why it works
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-16 | by ( Dorie Clark | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This makes it difficult to set aside time to explore ideas that interest us or learn new skills. Enter: Google's "20% time" rule, a concept made popular when Google went public in 2004. Win — even if you loseThis is the ultimate way to make sure your 20% time doesn't go to waste. The point isn't that you have to do your 20% time every Thursday afternoon; the point is to do it, period. But if difficult tasks are the only thing you do, you may grow bored or frustrated and want to quit.

☆ Google во Франции начнёт платить издателям СМИ за использование их контента
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-22 | by ( Mld Media Srl | ) noi.md time to read: +2 min

Материнская компания Google и французская ассоциация издателей подписали соглашения об авторских правах, согласно которым компания будет платить за контент СМИ, используемый в своих сервисах, пишет Reuters. Уже несколько лет медиакомпании критиковали Google за использование контента и отказ выплачивать вознаграждения авторам, писало Bloomberg в июне 2020 года. В 2014 году из-за требования платить издателям контента Google закрыла отделение News в Испании. В компании заявили, что сервисы вроде Google News привлекают трафик на сайты СМИ и таким образом помогают им зарабатывать. В 2019 году Apple в США представила сервис для чтения статей разных журналов в приложении Apple News.

Persons: Figaro, L'Obs Organizations: Google, Reuters, Bloomberg, Spiegel, Associados, Apple Apple, Apple, ABC, Wall Street, The Washington Post Bloomberg, СМИ Locations: Германия, Австралия, Бразилия, Испания, США

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