Google’s latest move has stirred up controversy as the tech giant embarks on a “small test” that will exclude results from EU-based news publishers. The experiment, revolving around nine EU countries, aims to evaluate the impact of EU news publishers on user search experience and traffic. This trial brings to light Google’s power dynamics in the digital news landscape, reminiscent of a mob boss flexing its muscles.
Here’s a breakdown of the key points surrounding Google’s latest experiment:
- The “small, time-limited test” will only affect one percent of users in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. These users will notice the omission of EU results from search, Google News, and the personalized Discover feed.
- The excluded users will still have access to results from non-EU news publications, ensuring a varied search experience during the trial period.
- Google reassures that the news results will resume as normal once the test concludes, although the company did not specify the duration of this experiment.
- The tech giant emphasizes that the experiment will not interfere with the publisher payments made under the European Copyright Directive (EUCD), where Google has already established agreements with over 4,000 EU publishers.
This isn’t the first time Google has used its influence as leverage in negotiations with news-related regulations:
- In response to Canada’s Online News Act, Google removed its news links until negotiations resulted in a $100 million annual payment to news organizations.
- Google briefly withdrew links to California news outlets following the proposed California Journalism Preservation Act, eventually reaching an agreement to support local news funding.
- In Australia, Google threatened to pull its search engine in response to royalty-sharing laws, but ultimately struck deals with Australian media companies after the law was passed.
In light of the latest experiment, Google aims to support publishers with data analysis tools to navigate the impact on traffic patterns during the EU test. As the digital news landscape continues to evolve, it remains crucial for tech companies and publishers to find common ground for a sustainable and collaborative future.
