The advent of paid online content has reached internet giant Google, which is said to be in early discussions to sign up to a new paid-for platform by the end of the year.
The operation, reported in some media outlets to be called Newspass, will allow online readers to access multiple sites with just a single login. It will allow users payment options through both subscriptions and micropayments.
It is part of Google’s intention to help publishers earn more money from online news and other online content. They are also seeking to dispel the criticism levied against them that Google News dilutes news content.
While Google has remained generally tight-lipped on the plans, a spokesman did say, "We've consistently said we are talking with news publishers to figure out ways we can work together, including whether we can help them with technology to power any subscription services they may be thinking of building."
He said their aim, as with all Google product, was to reach as broad a global audience as possible. They did not, however, preannounce products and had nothing to announce as yet.
The platform would seek to rival online payment platform Journalism Online, which last summer announced it had signed up more than 500 magazines and newspapers worldwide, and was only recently bought up by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.
