Google Tests Excluding European Publishers from News Links

Google is sparking controversy by testing restrictions on displaying EU publishers' content, which is seen as potential pressure against European online information regulations.

Google’s Controversial “Test”

Technology giant Google has sparked controversy with a “test” involving the omission of search results from EU-based news publishers. The company claims this time-limited experiment will only affect a small subset of users across nine EU countries. Google states its aim is to “assess the impact of EU news publishers’ results on user search experience and traffic to publishers.”

A Threat to European Media?

Given the fragile state of the news media and Google’s past threats to pull services in response to news-related regulations, some perceive this “test” as an intimidation tactic. It appears as an implicit threat that Google might withdraw its “protection” for European news publishers.

Details of the “Test”

As reported by The Verge, Google describes the test as a “small, time-bound experiment” that will exclude EU search results on Google Search, Google News, and the Discover news feed. Only 1% of users in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain will be affected. These users will still see results from non-EU websites, including publications from outside Europe.

A History of Regulatory Negotiations

Google has previously used the threat of removing visibility as a bargaining chip in similar scenarios, often securing concessions. For instance, last year, Google removed news links in Canada in response to Bill C-18, which required tech companies to compensate online publishers. Similarly, in April, Google briefly eliminated links to California media due to the proposed California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), demanding payments to news publishers. In 2021, Google even threatened to remove its entire search engine from Australia over a proposed law mandating revenue sharing with news publishers. Despite these conflicts, Google hopes that the data analytics tools provided to publishers will help them leverage this EU test to “understand traffic trends.”