Tech giant Google has reached licensing deals with over 600 news outlets amid the global dispute over fair compensation to publishers.
According to a report by Reuters, Google said on Wednesday, 30 March, that it is seeing a ‘huge increase’ in the number of users requesting more content from specific publications as part of a new programme.
This update has come after tech giants Facebook and Google were locked in disputes over poor compensation to news publishers.
The report further suggests that Google is negotiating with several publishers, including in the US, to spend $1 billion (roughly Rs. 7,300 crore) for what it calls News Showcase.
“The intention of our payment is to help make it easier for publishers to be able to participate in the program. Ultimately it's in service of creating this more sustainable future for news,” Brad Bender, vice president at Google overseeing News Showcase, told Reuters.
What Is Google News Showcase?
Google News Showcase is an enhanced news app designed by Google which was launched in 2020. It helps participating publishers share “their expertise and editorial voice through an enhanced storytelling experience”.
This app provides access to featured content where readers will have to pay to read 'paywalled’ content from news publishers. Several media reports suggest that Google has invested 1 billion dollars to support this initiative.
‘Publishers Have Agreed’
Google in a blog post on Wednesday confirmed that publishers from several countries have agreed to licence content. “Users can see the content in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and Britain, with Italy joining Wednesday,” read a statement from Google’s blog post.
This means that several publishers from these countries might display exclusive news content only after users subscribe to it.
Reuters has reported fees for individual publishers in France range from as large as $1.3 million (roughly Rs. 10 crore) for newspaper Le Monde to $13,741 (roughly Rs. 10 lakh) for local publisher La Voix de la Haute Marne.
(With inputs from Reuters)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)