EU Investigates Google Over Potential Harm to News Publishers
Brussels (ANSA) – The European Union is once again scrutinizing Google, following previous antitrust rulings against the tech giant, in a move that represents another challenge to American Big Tech.The European Commission has launched an investigation to determine if Google is unfairly penalizing news publishers, potentially violating the Digital markets Act (DMA) designed to curb anti-competitive practices by large online platforms.
The Commission is concerned that Google’s policies may not treat news publishers fairly in search results. Vice-President of the Commission, Teresa Ribera, responsible for competition, stated the investigation will “ensure that news publishers do not lose important revenue at this difficult time for the sector” and that “Google respects European legislation on digital markets.”
The core of the dispute lies with Google’s anti-spam policy, intended to protect users from manipulated search rankings. However, the Commission argues this policy inadvertently downgrades the websites of news publishers and content providers in search results if they feature content from commercial partners. This downgrade leads to reduced traffic and, consequently, significant revenue losses for publishers.
Should the investigation find a violation,Google faces substantial penalties – up to 10% of its global turnover,rising to 20% for repeat offenses. In cases of systematic violations,the Commission could even force google to sell parts of its business or prevent further acquisitions.
google has dismissed the investigation as “misleading” and “unfounded,” arguing the DMA is making its search engine less useful for European users and businesses. The company also pointed to a German court ruling that previously upheld the validity of its anti-spam policy. Google warns the investigation could ”harm millions of European users.”
