The European Union has launched an investigation into Google concerning allegations that the tech giant is demoting commercial content from news media websites in its search results. EU officials observed that certain content developed with advertisers and sponsors was being de-prioritized to the extent that it was no longer visible to users. This could lead to a loss of visibility and revenue for media outlets.
The EU's executive arm stated that this action is not related to Google's overall indexing of news sites or its reporting practices but specifically targets commercial content provided by third parties. These partnerships, common in the offline world for promoting goods and services, are seen as a fair practice that should also exist in the online marketplace. The investigation is being conducted under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which mandates that Google must provide fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory access to publishers' websites on its search engine.
Google has responded to the investigation, labeling it as "misguided" and "without merit." The company maintains that its anti-spam policies, which it claims were already upheld by a German court, are designed to ensure trustworthy results and combat deceptive practices. Google argues that the investigation risks harming millions of European users. However, EU officials are concerned that Google's policies prevent news publishers from being treated fairly in search results, especially during a difficult economic period for the media industry.
EU officials will request evidence from publishers regarding any impact on their traffic and revenues. If Google is found to be in systematic non-compliance with the DMA, it could face fines of up to 20% of its revenue. The... download the app to read more
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