[AndrewSChapman]

I think the supposition is that if Google and FB have to pay for news articles from proper news outlets with proper journalists, they may decide not do. At the same time, people will not change their habits of getting their news from social media. This will lead to most people getting "news" from writers that are not qualified journalists, increasing the echo chamber effect and narrowing the range of information people have to reason with. This is the danger to democracy.

[anothernewdude]

That happens regardless. People pick their own sources, and aren't optimising for truth.