Google Eyes US Launch of News Showcase Amid Global Push for Tech Giant Reimbursements

Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL Google said a long-delayed product that reimburses news publishers to feature their content will likely launch in the U.S. this summer.

Google News Showcase is well-timed as various countries are amid legislation to seek reimbursement from publishers from technology companies, including Google and Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc META, for featuring their content, the Wall Street Journal reports.

In 2020, Google announced Showcase, launching it in over 20 countries except for the U.S. amid stalled efforts to negotiate with some publishers. 

Also Read: Facebook Stops Renewing US Publisher Contracts In Its Quest For Metaverse, TikTok Rivalry: Report

The company said Showcase would feature in over 150 U.S. news publications, including local outlets like the Duluth News Tribune in Minnesota and Orlando Weekly in Florida and more prominent news outlets like the Associated Press, Bloomberg, Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal.

Google faced criticism from major news organizations—including Wall Street Journal parent News Corp NWSA—for using news content in its products without paying the publishers.

Google on Thursday disclosed plans to continue funding Google News Initiative, which invests in local news organizations.

It also rebrands and updates a tool that lets users purchase news subscriptions through their Google account.

Price Action: GOOG shares traded higher by 0.52% at $123.31 premarket on the last check Friday.

Photo by Spencer E Holtaway via Flickr