Media Group Asks Enforcers to Probe Google Blocking News Websites

The FTC, DOJ and California attorney general should investigate whether Google violated antitrust or copyright law last week when it blocked news websites in the state, the News/Media Alliance wrote in a letter to enforcers Tuesday. Google temporarily limited access to news websites, “retaliating” against the California Journalism Preservation Act (see 2307060034), a legislative proposal that would require platforms to pay news publishers for use of their content, the letter said. Google may have violated the Sherman Antitrust Act, the FTC Act or the Lanham Act, it said. The California News Publishers Association joined the alliance in its letter to California AG Rob Bonta (D). The letter's “baseless claims deflect” from the real issues with the legislation, Google said in a statement Wednesday: “This bill is unworkable and will hurt small, local publishers to benefit large, out-of-state hedge funds. We have proposed reasonable alternatives to CJPA that would increase our support for the California news ecosystem and support Californians' access to news.” Offices for the FTC, DOJ and Bonta didn’t comment Wednesday.