Google News leader resigns amid rising tensions with publishers

A key executive from Google News, Shailesh Prakash, has stepped down. Prakash, who served as vice president and general manager of Google News, resigned in the wake of escalating concerns over Google’s relationship with news publishers. The Wall Street Journal reported the resignation, citing unnamed sources.

Prakash joined Google News in 2022 after spending 11 years at The Washington Post, where he played a pivotal role as chief product and technology officer. During his tenure there, he helped spearhead the newspaper’s transition to digital, working closely with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos following the acquisition of the publication.

Google News leader resigns amid tensions with publishers

The resignation comes as Google faces criticism from publishers who argue that the tech giant’s business model undermines their revenue. Many publishers rely on Google for traffic and ad sales, but recent moves by Google, including its AI-driven “AI Overviews” feature, have raised concerns. The tool summarizes search results, potentially reducing the visibility of publisher links and diverting traffic from news websites. News Media Alliance, representing over 2,200 publishers, criticized the feature, calling it “catastrophic to our traffic.”

Prakash’s departure comes as regulators and lawmakers increase scrutiny of Google. They argue that Google’s dominance in digital advertising harms competition and hurts news publishers. In August, a federal judge ruled that Google holds an illegal monopoly over online search. This decision could bring major structural changes to the company. The Department of Justice also filed an antitrust case against Google, alleging unfair monopolization of the digital ad market to the detriment of publishers.

Industry calls for reforms as Google News leader resigns

Critics claim Google uses publishers’ content to boost its AI capabilities without fair compensation. The company also faces international pressure, especially from Canada. Canada’s Online News Act requires Google to pay publishers for displaying their content on its platform. Moreover, the tech giant’s influence on regulators, both domestic and abroad, has further fueled calls for reform.