EU probes Google over news site rankings

Core Viewpoint - The European Commission has initiated a new investigation into Google, focusing on allegations that the company is demoting news outlets in search results when they include content from commercial partners, which raises concerns about fair treatment for media publishers [3][4][5]. Group 1: Investigation Details - The investigation is part of the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) and aims to ensure that news publishers are not losing significant revenues during a challenging time for the industry [5][9]. - The EU's antitrust chief, Teresa Ribera, expressed concerns that Google's policies may not allow for fair and non-discriminatory treatment of news publishers in search results [4][5]. - Google has criticized the investigation as "misguided" and claims that its policies are necessary to protect users from spam [6][9]. Group 2: Impact on Publishers - The EU is examining whether Google's anti-spam policy is fair and transparent for publishers, as it may directly affect their ability to monetize content [7][8]. - There are concerns that Google's efforts to protect users from spam could hinder publishers' legitimate business operations, especially as advertising revenues decline and user preferences shift towards video content [8][9]. - Although the EU believes that publishers have lost revenue due to Google's policies, specific figures have not been provided [9]. Group 3: Regulatory Context - Google has previously faced significant scrutiny from EU regulators, including a 2.95 billion euro fine in September, which has led to further tensions with the U.S. government [10]. - The DMA allows the EU to impose fines of up to 10% of a company's total global turnover for confirmed breaches, which could increase to 20% for repeat offenders [11].