Google Blocking Some News Content to Canadians In a Test

[engine]

Google is running a test on blocking some news content in Canada over the Online News Act.

Alphabet Inc's Google is rolling out tests that block access to news content for some Canadian users, the company confirmed on Wednesday, in what it says is a test run of a potential response to the government's online news bill.

The "Online News Act," or House of Commons bill C-18, introduced in April by Justin Trudeau's Liberal government, laid out rules to force platforms like Meta's (META.O) Facebook and Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content.

[reuters.com...]

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Please, Canadian media has been rediculously biased for some years now. Google blocking it too is just another layer of censorship. More censorship is bad for Canadians, bad for Canadian media, but great for alternative news sources.

Remember, Google was already censoring media it didn't like, which is largely the same media Canadian gov doesn't like, and it's thrived under censorship BECAUSE people learn about things the preffered media ommits or silences.

Example: It's not Canadian media that first released news about Trudeau's blackface scandal (x3). Canadian Media actually called it fake news initially, but the images were out there so he later had to admit it. People have a right to the truth, wherever it is.

This type of control is counter-productive because most people don't want to be controlled, they want to be informed. Trust is at an all-time low, this won't help.

If Canadian media wants more readership the bias should be first to go. Won't happen.

[edited by: Sgt_Kickaxe at 5:08 pm (utc) on Feb 23, 2023]

[not2easy]

It is nothing about censorship or bias, it is about paying news publishers for their work.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

It is nothing about censorship or bias, it is about paying news publishers for their work.

By censoring news access...

If Canadian media wants to earn more it would do well to drop the bias and start speaking to the other half, too/again. I'm not against Google censoring what Canadian gov says they must, the problem is not Google's now as they did try to get support against the bill.

Google objected strongly to this bill way back in Oct, as did many Canadians, but Liberal gov didn't listen - [webmasterworld.com...]

[phranque]

Google ran a similar test in Australia 2 years ago:
Google Reportedly Blocking Australian News From Search [searchenginejournal.com]
Google threatening to pull out of Australia [webmasterworld.com]

[tangor]

Strong arm tactics on both sides. Real question: whose pockets are deepest to ride out a stand-off? G or publishers...

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Real question: whose pockets are deepest to ride out a stand-off? G or publishers...

There is no standoff between G and publishers, it's everyone vs a gov bill that limits what Canadians can see. It doesn't improve existing media, it doesn't reduce the bias, it doesn't widen it's audience etc.

Do you make content for YouTube? If so you'll be wondering where your Canadian viewership went when Google is forced to show Canadians a Canadian YouTube source instead.

If SEJournal has the best take on a breaking news SEO change and ranks #1 - Canadians will see a different #1, sorry SEJournal. That's what this is.

[tangor]

laid out rules to force platforms like Meta's (META.O) Facebook and Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content.

Not everything is a censorship conspiracy ... sometimes it is just money, and sometimes it is money force by government against ordinary free market standards.

I freely admit that the "give and take" of the early days of the web have evaporated as the bait and switch of g's early "support" of advertising was FREELY ADOPTED by the gullible and has now been turned against the creators ... (hence the govt intrusion) in their pursuit of the all mighty dollar ...

But this is not the way to fix things.

ESTABLISHED news sites are KNOWN to the web in general ... only problem is USERS are just short of brain dead to keep a list of "oh, yeah, I want to see this stuff everyday" and lack the discipline to do so. The serps are their reminders ... and if g cuts them off because the government is forcing them to pay for stuff those other publishers want listed FOR FREE...

It is all very circular in wrongs on both sides.