Google will remove links to Canadian news from search results and other products in&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;when a law requiring internet giants to pay news publishers comes into effect, the Alphabet-owned company said on Thursday.

Google joins Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc in announcing an end to news access for Canadian users of their platforms after Bill C-18, or the Online News Act, was passed into law last week. The law is expected to come into effect in six months.

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who introduced the bill last year, has said platforms do not have any obligations under the act immediately and that the government was open to consulting with them on the regulatory and implementation process.

Canada's media industry has called for tighter regulation of tech companies to prevent them from elbowing news businesses out of the online advertising market.

"We have now informed the government that when the law takes effect, we unfortunately will have to remove links to Canadian news from our Search, News and Discover products in&nbsp;Canada," Google said in a blogpost.

"We don't take this decision or its impacts lightly, and believe it's important to be transparent with Canadian publishers and our users as early as possible," it said.

The act outlines rules to force platforms such as Facebook and Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content, a step similar to a groundbreaking law passed in Australia in 2021.

The U.S. technology companies have said the proposals are unsustainable for their businesses. Google has argued&nbsp;Canada's law is broader than those in Australia and Europe, saying it puts a price on news story links displayed in search results and can apply to outlets that do not produce news.

The search engine giant had proposed that the bill be revised to make the displaying of news content, rather than links, as basis for payment and to specify that only businesses that produce news and adhere to journalistic standards are eligible.

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Google will remove links to Canadian news from search results and other products in Canada when a law requiring internet giants to pay news publishers comes into effect, the Alphabet-owned company said on Thursday.

Google will remove links to Canadian news from search results and other products in Canada when a law requiring internet giants to pay news publishers comes into effect, the Alphabet-owned company said on Thursday. Google joins Facebook-owner Meta Platforms Inc in announcing an end to news access for Canadian users of their platforms after Bill C-18, or the Online News Act, was passed into law last week. The law is expected to come into effect in six months. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who introduced the bill last year, has said platforms do not have any obligations under the act immediately and that the government was open to consulting with them on the regulatory and implementation process. Canada's media industry has called for tighter regulation of tech companies to prevent them from elbowing news businesses out of the online advertising market. "We have now informed the government that when the law takes effect, we unfortunately will have to remove links to Canadian news from our Search, News and Discover products in Canada," Google said in a blogpost. "We don't take this decision or its impacts lightly, and believe it's important to be transparent with Canadian publishers and our users as early as possible," it said. The act outlines rules to force platforms such as Facebook and Google to negotiate commercial deals and pay news publishers for their content, a step similar to a groundbreaking law passed in Australia in 2021. The U.S. technology companies have said the proposals are unsustainable for their businesses. Google has argued Canada's law is broader than those in Australia and Europe, saying it puts a price on news story links displayed in search results and can apply to outlets that do not produce news. The search engine giant had proposed that the bill be revised to make the displaying of news content, rather than links, as basis for payment and to specify that only businesses that produce news and adhere to journalistic standards are eligible. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Google to remove news links in Canada over law on paying publishers

Millions of students in Pakistan may not have books for the new academic session starting August 2022 as the paper industry association has warned of an impending acute shortage of paper.

The current crisis stems from the rising prices of locally manufactured paper. The association has blamed the government for failing to control the domestic prices paper, reports local media.

During a joint press conference in the capital Islamabad city, All Pakistan Paper Merchant Association, Pakistan Association of Printing Graphic Art Industry (PAPGAI), and other organizations associated with the paper industry, along with the country's leading economist Dr Qaiser Bengali, warned that booksellers across the country would not be able to provide textbooks to millions of students this year if the price of paper was not stabilised.

At present, the price of local paper had increased by over 200 per cent and its quality was also inferior to the foreign-manufacture paper, they said, reports The News International newspaper.

They said that the pricing formula was yet to be decided between the government and private publishers and no steps had been taken to provide paper at a fixed price to the publishers.

“Since January, an increase of Rs100 per one kilogramme of local paper has been observed,” Publishers and Booksellers Association of Pakistan Chairman Aziz Khalid was quoted as saying.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-and-imf-reach-agreement-on-bailout-programme-490590" hreflang="en">Pakistan and IMF reach agreement on bailout programme</a>

He added that the current situation was pushing the printing and packaging industries towards collapse.

Aziz clarified that the publishers cannot use imported paper in textbooks due to high taxes. As a result, local publishers have stopped buying paper for textbooks.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, textbook publishers in Lahore had announced to halt operations due to soaring prices of paper.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Millions of students in Pakistan may not have books for the new academic session starting August 2022 as the paper industry association has warned of an impending acute shortage of paper.

Millions of students in Pakistan may not have books for the new academic session starting August 2022 as the paper industry association has warned of an impending acute shortage of paper. The current crisis stems from the rising prices of locally manufactured paper. The association has blamed the government for failing to control the domestic prices paper, reports local media. During a joint press conference in the capital Islamabad city, All Pakistan Paper Merchant Association, Pakistan Association of Printing Graphic Art Industry (PAPGAI), and other organizations associated with the paper industry, along with the country's leading economist Dr Qaiser Bengali, warned that booksellers across the country would not be able to provide textbooks to millions of students this year if the price of paper was not stabilised. At present, the price of local paper had increased by over 200 per cent and its quality was also inferior to the foreign-manufacture paper, they said, reports The News International newspaper. They said that the pricing formula was yet to be decided between the government and private publishers and no steps had been taken to provide paper at a fixed price to the publishers. “Since January, an increase of Rs100 per one kilogramme of local paper has been observed,” Publishers and Booksellers Association of Pakistan Chairman Aziz Khalid was quoted as saying. Also read | Pakistan and IMF reach agreement on bailout programme He added that the current situation was pushing the printing and packaging industries towards collapse. Aziz clarified that the publishers cannot use imported paper in textbooks due to high taxes. As a result, local publishers have stopped buying paper for textbooks. Earlier this month, textbook publishers in Lahore had announced to halt operations due to soaring prices of paper. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Paper crisis hits Pakistan, publishers say no books for new academic session

EU lawmakers have endorsed an overhaul of the bloc's two-decade old <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-countries-back-copyright-reforms-aimed-at-google-facebook-198643">copyright rules</a>, which will force <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-fines-google-149-billion-euros-for-anti-trust-breach-204538">Google</a> 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 Tuesday 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.

The European Commission began reviewing the rules two years ago in a bid to protect an industry that is worth 915 billion euros ($1.03 trillion) a year, accounting for 11.65 million jobs and 6.8 percent of the EU economy.

The new rules mean that Google and other online platforms will have to sign licensing agreements with musicians, performers, authors, news publishers and journalists to use their work online.

Google's YouTube, Facebook's Instagram and other sharing platforms will also have to install filters to prevent users from uploading copyrighted materials.

Both provisions triggered fierce lobbying from both sides.

The Commission's digital chief for Europe Andrus Ansip welcomed the outcome, saying the reforms would improve the position of writers, journalists, singers, musicians and actors vis-a-vis the big platforms using their content.

"Today's vote ensures the right balance between the interests of all players – users, creators, authors, press – while putting in place proportionate obligations on online platforms," he said in a statement.

But Google said the reforms would lead to legal uncertainty and hurt Europe's creative and digital economies. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) echoed the criticism.

"Consumers will have to bear the consequences of this decision. Their concerns had been voiced loud and clearly but MEPs chose to ignore them," BEUC director general Monique Goyens said.

Firefox browser-maker Mozilla was scathing about the vote.

"The EU institutions have squandered the progress made by innovators and creators to imagine new content and share it with people across the world," its EU policy head Raegan MacDonald said.

"They have handed the power back to large U.S. owned record labels, film studios and big tech.

Vast swathes of online services, not just those concerning music or news, could face unintended consequences, said Raffaella De Santis at law firm Harbottle &amp; Lewis.

"Care will need to be taken to ensure that smaller services are not disproportionately disadvantaged by measures which are in reality designed to curtail the formerly unchecked power of the tech giants," she said.

Lawmaker Julia Reda, a prominent critic of the reforms, said they threatened the free internet.

"Algorithms cannot distinguish between actual copyright infringements and the perfectly legal re-use of content for purposes such as parody," she said.

But lawmaker Axel Voss, who is in charge of the subject, rejected the criticism.

"We have agreed a new set of rules which will do exactly the opposite of killing the internet," he said.

Last month, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Poland refused to back the reforms

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.

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 Tuesday 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. The European Commission began reviewing the rules two years ago in a bid to protect an industry that is worth 915 billion euros ($1.03 trillion) a year, accounting for 11.65 million jobs and 6.8 percent of the EU economy. The new rules mean that Google and other online platforms will have to sign licensing agreements with musicians, performers, authors, news publishers and journalists to use their work online. Google's YouTube, Facebook's Instagram and other sharing platforms will also have to install filters to prevent users from uploading copyrighted materials. Both provisions triggered fierce lobbying from both sides. The Commission's digital chief for Europe Andrus Ansip welcomed the outcome, saying the reforms would improve the position of writers, journalists, singers, musicians and actors vis-a-vis the big platforms using their content. "Today's vote ensures the right balance between the interests of all players – users, creators, authors, press – while putting in place proportionate obligations on online platforms," he said in a statement. But Google said the reforms would lead to legal uncertainty and hurt Europe's creative and digital economies. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) echoed the criticism. "Consumers will have to bear the consequences of this decision. Their concerns had been voiced loud and clearly but MEPs chose to ignore them," BEUC director general Monique Goyens said. Firefox browser-maker Mozilla was scathing about the vote. "The EU institutions have squandered the progress made by innovators and creators to imagine new content and share it with people across the world," its EU policy head Raegan MacDonald said. "They have handed the power back to large U.S. owned record labels, film studios and big tech. Vast swathes of online services, not just those concerning music or news, could face unintended consequences, said Raffaella De Santis at law firm Harbottle & Lewis. "Care will need to be taken to ensure that smaller services are not disproportionately disadvantaged by measures which are in reality designed to curtail the formerly unchecked power of the tech giants," she said. Lawmaker Julia Reda, a prominent critic of the reforms, said they threatened the free internet. "Algorithms cannot distinguish between actual copyright infringements and the perfectly legal re-use of content for purposes such as parody," she said. But lawmaker Axel Voss, who is in charge of the subject, rejected the criticism. "We have agreed a new set of rules which will do exactly the opposite of killing the internet," he said. Last month, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Poland refused to back the reforms

Google, Facebook to pay publishers for use of news in EU

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