This is because the company has recently announced that they have launched a new licensing program in which it would see the company pay publishers for what Google is calling “high-quality” content. “This program will help participating publishers monetize their content through an enhanced storytelling experience that lets people go deeper into more complex stories, stay informed and be exposed to a world of different issues and interests.”
This announcement also holds some good news for end-users because according to Google, this will result in some articles being offered to readers for free, when they might otherwise be hidden behind a paywall. While it won’t unlock all the articles behind paywalls, at least it will make some free to read which is great for those who’d rather not pay for it.
Google was rumored earlier this year to be launching their own news service that could be a competitor to Apple News+, and this announcement sounds like the company is laying down the foundations for it.