Google allows publishers to limit free content

[Jazzy]

LONDON -Google Inc. is allowing publishers of paid content to limit the number of free news articles accessed by people using its Internet search engine, a concession to an increasingly disgruntled media industry.



There has been mounting criticism of Google's practices from media publishers — most notably News Corp . chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch — that argue the company is profiting from online news pages.

In an official blog posted late Tuesday, Josh Cohen, Google's senior business product manager, said the company had updated its so-called First Click Free program so publishers can limit users to viewing no more than five articles a day without registering or subscribing.

Previously, each click from a user of Google's search engine would be treated as free.

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