The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into Google’s so-called “site reputation abuse policy,” questioning whether the tech giant is unfairly hurting online publishers. They are facing an EU Probe
According to the Commission, Google may be penalizing news outlets and other publishers by pushing them lower in search results when they host or link to content from business partners, a practice many rely on to generate revenue. Regulators say this policy could directly affect how publishers “conduct legitimate business, innovate, and collaborate” with third-party content creators.
On paper, Google’s rule is meant to stop shady websites that try to game the system, for instance, those that repost or license other people’s content to ride on their high search ranking signals. However, publishers argue that Google’s policy extends far beyond that, penalizing legitimate partnerships and eroding their ad revenue.
Google, unsurprisingly, disagrees. Pandu Nayak, Chief Scientist of Search, called the EU’s move “misguided” and claimed it could “harm millions of European users.” In a blog post, he defended the company’s anti-spam measures as “reasonable, consistent, and already upheld by a German court.”
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“Google’s anti-spam policy helps level the playing field,” Nayak wrote, “so that websites using deceptive pay-for-play tactics don’t outrank those competing on the merits of their own content.”
If the investigation finds Google in violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), the landmark law aimed at curbing Big Tech dominance, the company could face fines of up to 10% of Alphabet’s global annual revenue. In serious cases, the Commission could even go as far as forcing Google to sell parts of its business or block it from future acquisitions.
Google Search was already flagged in 2023 as a “core platform service” under the DMA, giving Brussels more power to police how the company operates in Europe. This new probe adds another layer of scrutiny to Google’s ongoing antitrust battles on the continent.
The bigger question is what happens next: Can Europe rein in Google’s power without accidentally hurting the very publishers it’s trying to protect?
