Friday Five: Tech Updates and News Industry Shifts

We’re back with another edition of Friday Five! This week, we talk about Amazon introducing a new AI chatbot, Meta facing privacy issues, U.S. newspapers declining, Google’s update changing traffic for news websites, and Google and Canadian news publishers reaching a funding agreement. 

Amazon Q, AI Chatbot for Companies

Amazon has introduced a new AI chatbot called Amazon Q. It’s designed to help employees with daily tasks, such as summarizing documents, filling out support tickets, and answering questions about company policies. Pricing for Amazon Q starts at $20 per month. Read More on The New York Times. 

Meta’s EU Ad-Free Subscription Faces Privacy Issues

A privacy rights group called Noyb has filed a complaint against Meta’s new ad-free subscription service. Noyb argues that the cost of the subscription plan is too high and also contends that this allows Meta to exploit those customers who continue to use the free versions of Facebook and Instagram. Read More on TechCrunch. 

The Decline of U.S. Newspapers

The number of local newspapers in the United States is quickly declining. In 2005, there were 8,891 newspapers in the country Today, it’s estimated that there are only 6,000, which means that one-third of all U.S. newspapers have disappeared in just 18 years. Read More on AXIOS. 

Google’s Update Changes Traffic for News Websites

Google’s latest algorithm update has massively impacted news publishers. Some publishers have seen their search rankings drop by as much as 20%. The update was designed to show helpful and reliable results, but has negatively affected news websites. Read More on Press Gazette. 

Google and Canadian News Publishers Reach Funding Agreement 

Google has agreed to pay Canadian news publishers $73.6 million annually to keep news in search results. This deal is part of the Online News Act, which requires large technology companies to share advertising revenue with news publishers. Google will also contribute $100 million to Canadian news businesses. Read More on The Guardian.