Google cut dozens of jobs in its news division this week, CNBC has learned, downsizing at a particularly sensitive time for online platforms and publishers.

An estimated 40 to 45 workers in Google News have lost their jobs, according to an Alphabet Workers Union spokesperson, who didn’t know the exact number.

A Google spokesperson confirmed the cuts but didn’t provide a number, and said there are still hundreds of people working on the news product.

“We’re deeply committed to a vibrant information ecosystem, and news is a part of that long-term investment,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve made some internal changes to streamline our organization. A small number of employees were impacted. We’re supporting everyone with a transition period, outplacement services and severance as they look for new opportunities at Google and beyond.”

Google News presents links to articles from thousands of publishers and magazines. It’s a popular tab for people who use Google search, allowing them to find top-ranked stories on a particular topic.

The layoffs come amid a war between Israel and Hamas that has claimed thousands of lives in both Israel and Gaza since Oct. 7, and 20 months after Russia invaded Ukraine. Both wars have spawned a surge in the spread of misinformation across the web, heightening the importance of Google and other sites that users count on to find up-to-date news.

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