Google announced to shutdown their News in Spanish

New Spanish law requires Google to pay for using publishers’ content but search provider says it makes no money from News service.

Google is closing Google News in Spain and removing Spanish media outlets from the service following a row with the country’s government over new legislation aimed at protecting local publishers that requires the search company to pay for using their content.

The tech giant announced late on Wednesday that Google News would close inSpain on 16 December. A spokeswoman said she was “incredibly sad” to announce the company was shutting the service.

Also set to disappear are reports in English from Spanish publishers like Madrid’s leading El Pais newspaper. People who use Google’s standard search in Spain and anywhere else around the world will still be able to find articles on their own from Spanish publications, because the law applies only to aggregators and not to individuals who do their own searches outside of Google News.

“For centuries publishers were limited in how widely they could distribute the printed page,” wrote Gingras. “The internet changed all that - creating tremendous opportunities but also real challenges for publishers as competition both for readers’ attention and for advertising euros increased.

“We’re committed to helping the news industry meet that challenge and look forward to continuing to work with our thousands of partners globally, as well as in Spain, to help them increase their online readership and revenues.”