Following Australia’s footsteps that today passes law to make Google, Facebook to pay for news, Indian publishers have also asked Google to compensate Indian newspapers comprehensively for the use of content published by the newspaper. In a letter to Google India Country Manager Sanjay Gupta, Indian Newspaper Society (INS) President L. Adimoolam wrote that credible content from Indian publications has given Google the authenticity it enjoys in India.

The letter has also asked Google to share its advertising revenues properly.

Adimoolam also demanded in the letter that Google should pay for news generated by the newspaper which employ thousands of journalists on the ground, at considerable expense, for gathering and verifying information, reports Exchange4Media. The Society also noted that since these content are generated and published by newspapers at a considerable expense, it is the proprietary, and it is this credible content that has given Google authenticity in India ever since its inception.

INS also pointed out that publishers have been providing complete access to quality journalism with credible news, current affairs, analysis, information and entertainment. It also noted that there is a huge distinction between the editorial content from quality publications and fake news that is spreading on other information platforms.

It also said that over the past year, publishers from across the world have been raising the issue of fair payments for content. INS also emphasized on proper sharing of advertising revenue with Google. Google has recently agreed to better compensate and pay publishers in France, the EU and Australia.

INS also pointed out that since the past few years, the advertising revenue for publishers have been shrinking while Google is taking the bigger share of the pie. Despite the fact that advertising revenue is the financial backbone of the news industry, publishers are facing a very opaque advertising system and are unable to get details of Google’s advertising value chain. Hence INS insisted Google should increase the publisher share of advertising revenue to 85 percent. It also asked to ensure more transparency in the revenue reports provided to publishers by Google.

Speaking about amplifying misinformation and propagation of fake news, the Society noted in the letter that it had raised the issue of giving greater prominence to editorial content from Registered News Publishers. This will help tackle fake news as Google picks up content from several sites that are not credible.