Google, in the crosshairs of the EU for discriminating against “publishers” in search results

The European Union (EU) suspects that Google could be discriminating against publishers and media in the search results of its famous search engine, a practice that, if confirmed, would break legislation currently in force on community soil. For this reason, The European Commission has decided to open an investigation to determine whether or not the Alphabet subsidiary would be engaging in dishonest (and ultimately also illegal) practices.

What Brussels will specifically put under the microscope will be if Google deliberately harms publishers in search results if their web pages provide shelter for certain third-party commercial content.

“We are concerned that Google’s policies may be preventing publishers from receiving fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory treatment in their search results,” says Teresa Ribera, Vice President and Commissioner for Competition of the European Commission. The head of the Community Executive’s Competition portfolio insists that The open investigation against Google aims to ensure that publishers do not lose income at a particularly difficult time for the media industry.

The European Commission’s investigation will try to determine whether or not Google applies “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory policies to publishers’ websites in search results”as the company is obliged under the provisions of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Google insists that the investigation does not imply the discovery of evidence that incriminates the company

According to Brussels, There is evidence that Google’s “site reputation abuse policy” could interfere with the legitimate way publishers and media outlets monetize their web pages. and its contents. Google insists, however, that it is its policy to torpedo practices that could translate into eventual manipulation of positioning in the homonymous search engine.

The European Commission now wants to examine whether harming publishers’ content in Google search results undermines business freedom, innovation and collaboration with third parties in the media.

The Brussels Executive wanted, on the other hand, to emphasize that the beginning of its investigation does not constitute proof of any legal infringement on the part of Google. Brussels plans to conclude the investigation within a period of approximately 12 months, which if it determines that Google has indeed engaged in actions of an illegal nature could translate for the Alphabet subsidiary into a fine of up to 10% of its global turnover, which could increase to 20% in the case of repeated violations. Furthermore, in particularly serious cases, the European Commission may reserve the right to force the offending company to take measures of a structural nature (the division of the company, for example).

The European Commission has already imposed different fines on Google and Alphabet for a global value of approximately 8 billion euros since 2018. The largest sanction that Brussels has imposed to date on Google reached an amount of 4 billion euros and affected Android, the company’s mobile operating system.