Google announced on Friday that it will cease linking to New Zealand news content and withdraw its support for local media outlets if the government enacts a law requiring tech companies to pay for articles displayed on their platforms. This decision mirrors actions taken by Google in response to similar legislation in Australia and Canada in recent years.
The New Zealand government's proposal to introduce a bill mandating tech platforms to negotiate revenue-sharing agreements with media organizations came as a surprise in July. The legislation aims to address the loss of over 200 newsroom jobs earlier this year and prevent the outflow of advertising revenue from New Zealand news products.
