French regulators have fined Google €250m (£213m) for breaching agreements with media companies regarding online content reproduction.
The competition watchdog in France announced the fine on Wednesday, citing violations related to intellectual property rules concerning news media publishers. Regulators also raised concerns about Google’s AI services.
According to authorities, Google’s AI-powered chatbot Bird (now called Gemini) trained on content from publishers and news agencies without their knowledge. This action led to the fine.
The watchdog stated that the fine was for failing to fulfill commitments made to Google in 2022, accusing Google of not negotiating in good faith with news publishers for compensation for using their content.
As part of the settlement process, Google has agreed not to dispute the facts and is proposing corrective measures to address the shortcomings highlighted by the authorities.
The EU created “neighboring rights” copyright to enable print media to claim compensation for their content usage. France has been at the forefront of this issue, enacting laws to protect publishing rights against tech giants that monetize news content without sharing revenue.
The recent fine is a result of a copyright dispute in France over online content, initiated by complaints from leading news organizations and the news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) in 2019.
Google’s AI chatbot Bird was criticized for using content from media outlets without permission, impacting fair negotiations between publishers and Google.
Amid efforts to protect content scraping by AI services without consent, Google has faced fines for not adhering to commitments and fair negotiation practices with publishers.
Google responded by highlighting its agreements with over 280 French news publishers under the European Copyright Directive. The company stated its commitment to constructive cooperation with publishers to connect people with quality content sustainably.
The statement emphasized the need for collaborative efforts with publishers but also expressed challenges in navigating regulatory changes. Despite the fine, Google aims to move forward positively in the content ecosystem.
Source: www.theguardian.com
