Google tests blocking news content for some Canadians

Google is blocking some Canadian users from viewing news content in what the company says is a test run of a potential response to a Canadian government’s online news bill. Bill C-18 would require digital giants such as Google and Meta to negotiate deals that would compensate Canadian media companies for republishing their content on their platforms. The company says that it is temporarily limiting access to news content for under 4% of its Canadian users as it assesses possible responses to the bill. The change applies to its ubiquitous search engine as well as the Discover feature on Android devices, which carries news and sports stories.