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Google’s News Showcase, a program in which the search giant pays to curate news content from publishers, has been launched in the UK and Argentina. In the UK, the service covers over 120 publications, while 40 Argentine publications have signed up. For readers, the service includes the possibility of free access to certain content protected by a paywall. News Showcase launched in Germany and Brazil last year, and Australia last week, and now includes content from more than 450 publications around the world.
In the UK, publications available through the service include Reuters, the Financial Times, The independent, the New Statesman, and The telegraph, while Argentinian publications include Bugle, The nation, and Profile. A Google FAQ states that publishers receive a monthly fee for organizing service news, as well as for accessing content protected by a paywall.
News Showcase is available in the Google News app on iOS, Android, and the mobile web, as well as in Discover on iOS. On some Android phones, like Google Pixel devices, Discover is available by swiping your finger left on the Home screen. The interface displays article lists from each publication, which you can tap to read in full.
Over 120 UK publications will start curating content for News Showcase, many of which are local newspapers that do not have the same resources that many large national newspapers have to invest in their digital transformation. 2 / https://t.co/CV3mFa2QUK pic.twitter.com/buDHqtiA9N
– Google News Initiative (@GoogleNewsInit) February 10, 2021
Last week, Google News Showcase launched in Australia, a country where the company is currently opposing lawmakers over new rules that could require it to pay news publishers for their content. Google recently threatened to pull its search engine out of the country if the news media trading code goes into effect. Last week Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had had “constructive” talks with Google CEO Sundar Pichai over the new rules.
The situation means that while seven Australian publishers have joined the program, covering more than 25 publications, The Guardian reports that one outlet, Nine, has chosen not to negotiate with Google until the new code is introduced. In an FAQ, Google says News Showcase should be compatible with the new rules because publishers are free to go to arbitration if they don’t. Google News Showcase is not.
Facebook has a similar news initiative that involves paying publishers to license their content in the form of the News tab, a section of the service that includes a mix of curated and personalized news. After launching in the United States, the Tab recently arrived in the United Kingdom. Similar to Google News Showcase, the service involves Facebook paying certain publishers to license content, including some that would normally be subject to a paywall.
Beyond the UK and Argentina, Google says it is also ready to launch News Showcase in France, Canada and Japan.
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