Canada Google to stop restricting access to news sites in this country next week

DNHN - After a five-week trial, Google announced on March 10 that it would no longer restrict users' access to news websites in Canada beginning the following week.

Google conducted a trial to restrict access to news websites in Canada beginning on February 9 and ending on March 16 to evaluate the impact of a possible response to Measure C-18.

During this time, affected users were unable to locate links to news pages using Google's search engine or Google discovery on Android phones. The test affects a variety of Canadian news stories, including those published in newspapers and on television.

Director of public policy at Google, Jason Kee, stated that this is merely an experiment and no decision regarding product changes has been made.

Google stated that the purpose of the test was to evaluate the impact of a potential response to Measure C-18, a controversial online news bill proposed by the Canadian government.

Previously, while testifying before the Canadian House of Commons Heritage Committee, the head of Google in Canada, Sabrina Geremia, stated that traditional media and broadcasters benefit the most from Bill C-18.

Meanwhile, major Canadian media companies and the federal government assert that the bill will level the playing field for news organizations to compete for advertising with tech giants.

Google disagrees with this stance, arguing that it financially supports news agencies by linking users to news websites so that publishers can increase readership and monetize visits. Previously, Google stated that it had licensed news websites from over 150 Canadian publications.

Ngoc Phi (TH)