People arrive at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, Wednesday, July 24, 2024.Photo by Charlotte Graham-mclay/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Google says it will stop linking to New Zealand news if forced to pay

Move by the tech giant echoes strategies the firm deployed as Australia and Canada prepared to enact similar laws in recent years

by · National Post

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Google said Friday it will stop linking to New Zealand news content and will reverse its support of local media outlets if the government passes a law forcing tech companies to pay for articles displayed on their platforms.

The vow to sever Google traffic to New Zealand news sites — made in a blog post by the search giant on Friday — echoes strategies the firm deployed as Australia and Canada prepared to enact similar laws in recent years.

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