California bill advances, requiring Big Tech to pay for news

Wicks authored a bill that would require Big Tech companies such as Google and Meta to share advertising revenue with media outlets for using their news content. — AP

SACRAMENTO: Big Tech companies such as Google and Meta might soon have to pay media outlets for posting and using their news content under a proposed California measure attempting to save local journalism.

The bill, which cleared an important Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday with bipartisan support, would require Google and Meta to share with California media companies their advertising revenue stemming from the news and other reported content. The amount would be determined through an arbitration process.