A California bill that would force tech companies such as Facebook and Google to pay publishers for news content has been put on hold in the Legislature until 2024.
The California Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, sponsored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, would direct digital advertising giants to pay news outlets a "journalism usage fee" when they sell advertising alongside news content. The bill would require publishers to invest 70% of those funds in preserving journalism jobs in California.
The bill passed in the Assembly with bipartisan support June 1 and moved on to the state Senate. A hearing was initially scheduled for July 11, but Wicks' office announced Friday it would be rescheduled for 2024, picking back up at the same point in the legislative process.
