In a move aimed at averting a hefty antitrust sanction, Alphabet’s Google said on Friday it will revise its spam‑policy enforcement across the European Union and the European Economic Area. The change, effective August 30, stops the company’s manual actions that previously demoted news outlets and other publishers when their pages contained content from commercial partners.
Regulatory pressure and the Digital Markets Act
EU competition officials opened an investigation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) after publishers complained that Google’s site‑reputation abuse policy was unfairly lowering the visibility of their sites in search results. The DMA, a cornerstone of the Commission’s effort to rein in the power of large tech platforms, authorizes fines of up to 10 % of a company’s global turnover for breaches.
According to the European Commission’s monitoring, Google’s former spam policy treated sites that displayed third‑party or partner content as lower‑quality, triggering algorithmic or manual penalties that pushed them down in search rankings. Critics argued that the practice, often called “parasite SEO,” disadvantaged legitimate news media and other content creators.
Google’s response
Google’s statement clarified that, beginning August 30, any manual actions intended to demote sites for the described reasons will no longer apply to users in the 27 EU member states, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. The company emphasized that the policy adjustment is limited to the European Economic Area and will not affect its global spam‑policy enforcement elsewhere.
“We are committed to complying with the DMA and ensuring a fair playing field for all publishers,” the company said. “Our updated approach reflects the feedback we have received from regulators and the broader online community.”
Implications for publishers and users
For European news organizations and other content providers, the policy shift could restore some of the search visibility that was lost under the previous enforcement regime. By removing manual demotions tied to commercial‑partner content, Google aims to level the ranking signals that determine which sites appear at the top of search results.
Consumers may notice a broader range of sources appearing in their search results, especially for topics that involve syndicated or partner‑generated material. The change also signals to other large platforms that the EU is serious about enforcing the DMA’s provisions, potentially prompting further adjustments in how tech firms operate across the continent.
What’s next?
The European Commission will continue to monitor Google’s compliance with the DMA. While the policy amendment addresses the immediate concern of a possible fine, regulators may still assess whether the new approach fully satisfies the law’s requirements. Stakeholders are watching closely, as the outcome could set a precedent for how other multinational tech companies handle EU‑wide regulatory demands.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
