The European Union has initiated an investigation into Google Search amid worries that the US tech giant may be “downgrading” commercial content from news media platforms.
The enforcement body of the bloc announced this move after monitoring revealed that various content produced in collaboration with advertisers and sponsors was ranked so low by Google that it essentially vanished from search results.
Officials from the European Commission indicated that this potentially unfair “loss of visibility and revenue” for media owners could stem from Google’s anti-spam policies.
According to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which governs competition within the tech sector, Google is required to provide “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory conditions for access to publishers’ websites in Google Search”.
Committee officials clarified that the investigation does not pertain to the overall indexing of newspapers or Google search coverage but focuses specifically on commercial content supplied by third parties.
Media collaborations with firms selling products and services, from seasonal items to apparel, are described as “normal business practices in the offline world” and should be supported in equitable online ecosystems like Google, according to the officials.
For instance, a newspaper may partner with Nike to offer discounts, but evidence suggested that Google Search “demoted the newspaper’s subdomains to the extent that users could no longer access them.” This situation would also negatively impact newspapers.
“We are concerned that Google’s policies do not facilitate fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory treatment of news publishers in search results,” stated Teresa Rivera, European Commission vice-president for clean, fair, and competitive transition policy.
In the upcoming days, authorities will request publishers to present evidence regarding the effects on traffic and revenue resulting from the alleged violations of fair practices, according to the commission.
Rivera further remarked: “We will investigate to ensure news publishers are not losing essential revenue during a challenging time for the industry and to make certain that Google adheres to the Digital Markets Act.”
“We are taking measures today to guarantee that Digital Gatekeepers do not unreasonably hinder the ability of businesses relying on them to promote their products and services.”
In response, Google has criticized the EU investigation as “misguided” and “without merit”.
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The company shared in a blog post: “Unfortunately, the investigation into our anti-spam efforts announced today is misguided and risks harming millions of users in Europe.
“And this investigation is without merit. German courts have already dismissed similar claims, ruling that our anti-spam policies were effective, reasonable, and applied consistently.”
The policy is designed to build “trustworthy results” and “combat deceptive billing tactics” that “degrade” the quality of Google search results.
The EU stated it took these actions to safeguard traditional media competing in online markets, especially after President Ursula von der Leyen recently highlighted in her State of the Union address that the media sector is at risk due to the growth of AI and other threats to media funding.
Officials emphasized that the investigation is part of a “routine violation” inquiry and could lead to penalties of up to 20% of Google’s revenue, although this would only occur if Google is found to be in “systematic violation.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
