May 6 - Google has put forward a set of proposed changes to the way its search engine surfaces news results, according to a Bloomberg News report published on Wednesday. The move is intended to prevent increases to the 9.5 billion euros in competition fines that the company has already accumulated from the European Union.
Sources cited by Bloomberg said Google recently filed the proposals with regulators and market participants to address allegations that it was intentionally lowering the ranking of publishers' websites when those pages display advertisements tied to some of the publishers' commercial partners. The report attributed the description of the proposals to people familiar with the matter.
Included among the measures Google has offered are amendments to its anti-spam policies. The company has presented the package as a potential remedy that, if accepted by rivals in the market and by EU regulatory authorities, could allow it to avoid a formal directive requiring changes to its business operations and stave off additional penalties under the Digital Markets Act.
The European Commission declined to comment on the Bloomberg report. Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Summary of the situation
Google's proposals aim to alter how news results are presented in search in response to concerns that some publisher pages were being demoted when the pages contained adverts from certain commercial partners. The company has framed the package - which includes changes to anti-spam rules - as a way to resolve those concerns without a formal enforcement order and without further fines under the Digital Markets Act.
Contextual note - The report describing Google's filing and the nature of the proposed changes was published by Bloomberg News and relied on people familiar with the matter. The European Commission offered no comment when asked, and Google did not reply immediately to a Reuters inquiry. ($1 = 0.8511 euros)
Key points
- Google has proposed modifications to its news search presentation to address publisher complaints and regulatory concerns.
- The proposals include amendments to Google's anti-spam policies as part of the offered solution.
- If accepted by market rivals and EU regulators, the package could allow Google to avoid a formal order and potential fines under the Digital Markets Act.
Risks and uncertainties
- It is uncertain whether market rivals and EU regulators will approve Google's proposed changes - approval is required to avoid a formal enforcement order.
- The European Commission's response remains unknown - officials declined to comment, leaving the final regulatory outcome unclear.
- Google's position could remain unresolved if regulators or competitors reject the package; the company did not immediately comment in response to media inquiries.