EU to probe Google policy on news outlets
The European Commission is to examine how Google’s policies affect access to publishers’ websites on its search engine.
The EU body said that it had launched proceedings to assess whether Google applied “fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory" conditions of access to publishers' websites, which is an obligation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The DMA, which aims to ensure fair markets in the digital sector, regulates ‘gatekeepers’ – large digital platforms that are seen as providing an important gateway between business users and consumers.
Commercial partners
The commission said that its monitoring work had indicated that Google, based on its ‘site reputation-abuse policy', was demoting news media and other publishers' websites and content in Google search results when those websites included content from commercial partners.
According to Google, this policy aims to tackle practices that are allegedly meant to manipulate ranking in search results.
The EU body’s probe is to focus on how the Google policy applies to publishers.
“This policy appears to directly impact a common and legitimate way for publishers to monetise their websites and content,” the commission stated.
Demotions
As a result, it will investigate whether demotions of publishers' websites and content in Google Search may affect publishers' freedom to conduct legitimate business, innovate, and co-operate with third-party content providers.
“We are concerned that Google’s policies do not allow news publishers to be treated in a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory manner in its search results,” said commissioner Teresa Ribera.
“We will investigate to ensure that news publishers are not losing out on important revenues at a difficult time for the industry, and to ensure Google complies with the Digital Markets Act,” she added.
Fines
The commission pointed out that the opening of proceedings did not pre-judge a finding of non-compliance.
It will now inform Google’s parent company Alphabet of its preliminary findings and explain the measures that it considers taking or that Alphabet should take to address the commission’s concerns.
In cases of infringement, the commission can impose fines up to 10% of the company's total worldwide turnover, rising to 20% in cases of repeated infringement.