Core Viewpoint - The European Commission is preparing to investigate Alphabet, Google's parent company, for potential violations of the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regarding the ranking of online news publishers in search results [1][2]. Investigation Details - Allegations suggest that Google's algorithms demote news outlets that feature third-party promotional content, which is crucial for many publishers' profitability [3]. - The DMA aims to regulate large online platforms with significant market power, including Alphabet, and mandates that these companies do not disadvantage other businesses using their platforms [4]. Potential Consequences - Non-compliance with the DMA could result in fines up to 10% of a company's global turnover [4]. - Previous fines include €200 million (approximately $234 million) for Meta and €500 million (about $585 million) for Apple for DMA violations, and Google was recently fined €2.95 billion for favoring its own advertising services [5]. Ongoing Investigations - The European Commission is also looking into other potential breaches by Google, including favoritism in search rankings and hindering developers from promoting alternative offers outside its app store [6]. - In 2018, Google faced a €4.12 billion fine for anti-competitive practices related to its Android operating system [6]. Company Response - Google has acknowledged some complaints regarding "parasite SEO" and claims to enforce spam policies through a careful review process for affected publishers [7].