- Google’s EU test removed news from search results for 1% of users, showing no impact on its ad business.
- The company aims to use these findings in negotiations over publisher payments under EU copyright law.
- Regulators in France and Germany are closely watching Google’s actions, with potential legal consequences.
Google has released the results of an experiment that removed news from search results for 1% of users in eight European countries over 2.5 months.
The tech giant claims that the absence of news had no measurable impact on its advertising revenue, challenging the notion that it should compensate publishers for using their content under EU copyright law.
According to Google, the findings demonstrate that publishers “vastly overestimate” the value of news to their business.
The company stated that the impact of news on its ad revenue “could not be statistically distinguished from zero.” Google hopes this data will strengthen its position in payment negotiations with European publishers.
However, the move risks regulatory scrutiny. The company has already faced hefty fines in France for its handling of copyright negotiations.
Germany’s competition authority has also increased oversight of Google’s news-related practices, forcing changes. Notably, Google excluded France from the test after a court warned it could face fines for violating prior agreements.
The experiment was also not conducted in Germany, where regulators have been particularly active in monitoring Google’s practices.
As Google continues to challenge EU copyright laws, its approach to news content could invite further legal and antitrust actions in Europe.
Edited By Annette George
