Disruption

Calif. bill seeks to save journalism by taxing web platforms

The sponsor hopes to help save news organizations by making tech bear some of the news gathering costs.
California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, addressing fellow lawmakers at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, June 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Legislation advancing in California would require internet giants such as Google and Meta to pay a “journalism usage fee” for profiting from third-party content, a potential financial lifeline for struggling news outlets that has invited strong pushback from the tech industry.

The California Journalism Preservation Act was introduced in response to more than a decade of steep declines in advertising revenue, which has led to widespread layoffs and the demise of hundreds of newspapers across the country.

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