Posted on 07/13/21
| News Source: i24
Dispute part of wider efforts in EU to get big tech companies to pay publishers for using their content
In a landmark legal decision Tuesday, France's antitrust authority fined tech giant Google 500 million euros ($593 million) for failing to negotiate in "good faith" with newspapers and publishers over the use of their content, reported Deutsche Welle (DW).
The regulatory body ruled that in particular, Google failed to abide by temporary orders to hold negotiations with publishers within three months.
The decision appears to be part of an ongoing and developing battle within the European Union (and beyond), regarding efforts to force big tech giants to pay publishers for using their content; which in this case referred to French newspapers Le Figaro and Le Monde.
The Competition Authority ordered Google to "present an offer of remuneration for the current uses of their protected content" to publishers and news agencies, under penalty "of being subject to penalties of up to 900,000 euros ($1 million) per day of delay," and of at least 300,000 euros ($355,000).
A Google spokesman said that the company was "very disappointed" with the levied fine, although the tech behemoth added that it would comply with the French antitrust decision.
"We will take the French Competition Authority's feedback into consideration and adapt our offers," Google said.
"We have acted in good faith throughout the entire process," the spokesperson said.
"The fine ignores our efforts to reach an agreement, and the reality of how news works on our platforms," the company retorted, according to DW.
In separate investigations, the European Commission is looking into claims that Google is driving companies out of business with unfair practices regarding its search results page, which is so widely used, it has effectively become the gateway to the Internet.