Google plans to pay $1 billion to publishers globally for its content over the next three years, its CEO. A move that could help it win over a powerful group amid heightened regulatory scrutiny worldwide.
News publishers have long fought the world’s most popular internet search engine for compensation for using their content, with European media groups leading the charge.
CEO Sundar Pichai said the new product called Google News Showcase will launch first in Germany. Where it has signed up German newspapers including Der Spiegel, Stern, Die Zeit, and in Brazil with Folha de S.Paulo.
The product will be rolled out in Belgium, India, the Netherlands, and other countries. About 200 publishers in Argentina, Australia, Britain, Brazil, Canada, and Germany have signed up for the product.
“This financial commitment – our biggest to date – will pay publishers to create and curate high-quality content for a different kind of online news experience,” Pichai said in a blog post.
This allows publishers to pick and present their stories, will launch on Google News on Android devices and Apple devices.
“This approach is distinct from our other news products because it leans on the editorial choices of individual publishers. Which stories to show readers and how to present them,” Pichai said.