EU Launches Investigation into Google's Treatment of News Publishers in Search Results Amid US Tensions

The European Union has initiated a new investigation into Google, examining whether the tech giant's anti-spam policies unfairly affect news publishers in search results, despite threats of retaliation from US President Donald Trump.

According to the European Commission, there are concerns that Google may be demoting websites and content from media publishers in search results when they include content from commercial partners, such as sponsored editorial pieces.

EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera expressed worry that "Google's policies do not allow news publishers to be treated in a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory manner in its search results." She emphasized the need to "ensure that news publishers are not losing out on important revenues at a difficult time for the industry."

This investigation falls under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to regulate major tech companies and foster competition within the 27-member bloc. The probe comes despite Trump's earlier warnings that he would impose tariffs on countries that he believes are targeting US technology companies.

Google has strongly criticized the investigation, calling it "misguided" and "without merit." The company defends its search platform policies as necessary measures to protect users from spam content. Google Search chief scientist Pandu Nayak stated in a blog post that "this surprising new investigation risks rewarding bad actors and degrading the quality of search results."

The EU will specifically examine whether Google's anti-spam policy is fair and transparent for publishers, though it is not questioning the overall measure itself. The commission noted that "this policy appears to directly impact a common and legitimate way for publishers to monetize their websites and content."

Brussels is concerned that Google's efforts to protect users from spam could impact publishers' "freedom to conduct legitimate business" during an already challenging period for news media, characterized by declining advertising revenue and shifting user preferences toward video content.

While the European Commission believes publishers have lost revenue due to Google's policy, it did not provide specific figures and declined to comment on which media outlets have been affected.

Google maintains that its policies aim to protect users from spammers who might exploit the good ranking of publishing outlets to mislead users into clicking on low-quality content.

The commission intends to conclude the investigation within 12 months.

This is not Google's first encounter with EU regulatory scrutiny. In September, the EU imposed a substantial 2.95-billion-euro fine on Google, which provoked an angry response and tariff threats from Trump.

Additionally, in March 2024, Brussels accused Google of favoring its own services over competitors as part of another DMA probe. Simultaneously, the EU claimed that the Google Play app store prevented developers from directing customers outside the platform to access better deals.

Under the DMA, if violations are confirmed, the EU can impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company's total global turnover, which can increase to 20 percent for repeat offenders.