Google Removes Some California News Sites From Search Over Pending Bill Requiring Payments to Publishers

Google announced it would remove links to some California news sites from search results for some users due to a pending state bill requiring Google to pay publishers
The bill would require tech companies like Google to pay news outlets a "journalism usage fee" for selling ads alongside news content
Google is pausing further investments and partnerships in California's news ecosystem, including Google News Showcase expansions
Many news outlets rely on traffic from Google and Facebook but are at the whim of their algorithms
Supporters say the bill would level the playing field for struggling news outlets; critics say it will favor media conglomerates over smaller outlets