Google Agrees to Pay $40 Million to Support South African News Media Following Regulatory Intervention

Nov 13, 2025 10:25 pm CST

South Africa's Competition Commission has secured a $40.4 million funding package from Google to support struggling local news media organizations. The agreement follows a 16-month investigation revealing algorithmic bias favoring international news sources. The deal includes funds for national publishers, AI innovation, and digital transformation for smaller outlets. Other tech platforms including TikTok have made concessions, while Elon Musk's X platform faces regulatory directives after failing to settle.