Google ties up with 30 publishers to start news platform in Covid-ravaged India

Alphabet Inc’s Google on Tuesday launched its Showcase news platform in India with 30 domestic news publishers, at a time when the country is trying to weed out misinformation surrounding a ferocious second Covid-19 wave.

Indians have become increasingly reliant on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for information related to the crisis amid a shortage of critical medical supplies.

Google will pay the partnering publishers for their online content and allow them to curate it, while allowing users limited access to paywalled stories. It did not reveal further financial details.

“Today’s announcement comes at a particularly challenging moment in India, with Indians seeking out authoritative news and information as the Covid-19 crisis deepens,” Google said in a blog