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Google plans to remove links to Canadian news websites from its platforms like Google Search, Google News, and Discover.
This decision comes after Canada passed a law called the Online News Act, also called Bill C-18. The law requires big tech companies like Google and Meta to pay Canadian news publishers for their content.
According to Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, the company made this decision because the law puts a price on links to websites. The new law means Google might have to pay a lot of money just for letting Canadians access news from Canadian publishers.
Walker mentioned that they have been saying for more than a year that this is not the right way to support journalism in Canada and could lead to major changes in their products.
Google has been preparing for this new law and already tested blocking news in February.
Walker says that they will remove the links once the law goes into effect, which is expected to happen in six months. Additionally, Google will stop offering its Google News Showcase product, which highlights local news, in Canada.
This announcement from Google comes after Meta’s decision last week to remove news from Facebook and Instagram in Canada because of the same law.
In 2021, Google threatened to remove news from Australia due to a similar law, but the company eventually reached agreements with publishers instead.
Vocabulary
- Plan – want; aim; to intend to do something
- Remove – to take out; to take away from; take off; to stop; to eliminate
- Link – URL; a code or address that takes you to a website
- Platform – an online business that provides a service or connects people and businesses
- Decision – a choice that you make about something after thinking about several possibilities/options; choice; ruling;
- Pass a law – when the government makes a new rule that everyone has to follow; to start a new law; when a new law is approved by the government
- Law – a rule, regulation, or guideline set by the government
- Tech = technology
- Publisher – a person or company that makes and sells books, magazines, or other written or digital materials
- Content – information, images, video, etc. that are included as part of something like a website or social media account; material created by a person
- According to – as ‘someone’ said; as stated by ‘someone’; in the opinion of ‘someone’
- Global Affairs – events, issues, or relationships that involve many countries and have an impact on the world as a whole
- Make a decision – To choose or make up your mind about something; decide
- Let – allow; give permission to; say OK
- Mention – to briefly or quickly talk about something; to say something, but not talk in detail about it
- Journalism – the profession/work of gathering, investigating, and reporting news and information to the public
- Lead to – if an action or event leads to something, it makes that thing happen or exist; begin a process that causes something to happen
- Block – to stop or prevent something from happening or moving forward; to prevent/stop someone or something from passing through
- Go into effect – to begin or start; to be valid or apply
- Expect – to think something will happen; forecast; predict; suppose
- Highlight – to make clear; to bring people’s attention to it; to emphasize
- Announcement – to make information available to everyone; a statement; to say to everyone; notification
- Threaten – express an intention to harm or cause trouble to someone or something; to say you will hurt someone
- Eventually – After a while or over time; later on
- Reach an agreement – when two or more parties come to a decision or understanding that they all agree on
- Instead – rather than; in place of something else; “not that, but something else”; substitute; alternative
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- Do you believe big tech companies should be required to pay news publishers for their content? Why or why not?
- What are some potential advantages and disadvantages of requiring big tech companies to pay news publishers for their content?
- How do you think the removal of links to Canadian news websites will impact the accessibility of news for Canadians?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
