The European Union has launched an antitrust investigation into Google’s spam policy. This move follows complaints from publishers who say Google’s actions have cut into their earnings. The U.S. tech giant now faces the possibility of another large fine.
Last March, Google began cracking down on companies that tried to trick its search algorithm to push other websites higher in search results. Google’s “site reputation abuse policy” specifically targets what many call “parasite SEO.” This is when a website publishes content from another company, hoping to use its own good ranking to boost the partner’s content in search results.
The European Commission noticed that Google’s policy pushes down news media and other publisher websites in search results, especially when these sites include content from commercial partners. The Commission stated that this directly affects a common and legitimate way for publishers to make money from their websites and content.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera voiced concerns, saying, “We worry that Google’s policies do not treat news publishers fairly, reasonably, and without discrimination in its search results.” She added that the investigation aims to ensure news publishers don’t lose significant income during a tough time for the industry and that Google complies with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Google, however, pushed back against the EU’s competition watchdog. Pandu Nayak, Google Search’s chief scientist, wrote in a blog post that the investigation into their anti-spam efforts is “misguided” and could hurt millions of European users. He also pointed out that a German court had already dismissed a similar complaint, ruling that Google’s anti-spam policy was fair and consistent. Nayak said Google’s policy helps make sure websites compete fairly, preventing those that use sneaky tactics from outranking sites with their own quality content.
German media company ActMeraki complained to the Commission in April, arguing that Google’s spam policy punishes websites. Other groups, such as the European Publishers Council, the European Newspaper Publishers Association, and the European Magazine Media Association, have also expressed similar concerns. This EU investigation falls under the DMA, a law designed to control the power of big tech companies. If found guilty, companies could face fines of up to 10% of their global annual sales.
