EU lawmakers back copyright reforms targeting Google, Facebook

A demonstrator takes part in a protest in front of the European Parliament as Members of the European Parliament debate on modifications to EU copyright reforms in Strasbourg, France, March 26, 2019. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

STRASBOURG: EU lawmakers have endorsed an overhaul of the bloc's two-decade old copyright rules, which will force Google and Facebook Inc to pay publishers for use of news snippets and make them filter out protected content.

The European Parliament backed the reforms by 348 votes to 274 on March 26 after a debate that has pitted Europe's creative industry against tech companies, Internet activists and consumer groups concerned that the new rules may be too costly and block too much content.