The actions taken by Google are a manifestation of abuse of a dominant position – wrote the Association of Digital Publishers Employers (ZPWC) in a position paper. This concerns the test announced by the company to remove content published by news media from the search engine, Google News and Discover for one percent of users.
“Google announced the implementation test of not showing 1%. its users of news media content. It's about search results, Google News and Discover. In these Google products, news publishers' content is to be invisible,” we read in a statement from ZPWC.
The union explains that Google “refers to the alleged expectation of regulators and publishers who have asked for additional data on the impact of information content in the search engine on the use of the company's products.”
“We believe that the actions taken by Google are valid a manifestation of abuse of Google's dominant position in two areas, i.e. traffic distribution to online publishers and online advertising. This is an attempt to influence publishers before negotiating remuneration with Google for the use of media content,” the publishers claim.
“We would like to emphasize that as an organization associating the largest online publishers in Poland, reaching through their media to over 25 million Poles per month, we did not report the need to conduct such a test,” it was written.
“This is money that does not go to publishers”
The association pointed out that Google has been expanding its offer over the years, gradually making the advertising market dependent on its services. As ZPWC explains, the American entity “has become the main distribution channel for publishers of their content.”
“Estimated today in Poland, approximately 40 percent goes to Google and YouTube. advertising expenses online. This is money that does not go to publishers. They don't even work for the Polish media market,” we read.
Publishers emphasize that the unilateral announcement of the decision by Google is “an inappropriate response to publishers' expectations, but also an unacceptable move and abuse of a dominant position.”
“According to the above, we appeal to politicians and institutions guarding compliance with fair market practices and 'sound' competition rules on the domestic and European markets to take actions that (both now and in the future) will prevent abuses by entities such as Google its dominant market position,” the statement said.
Main photo source: Shutterstock