France fines Google €500 million in an argument over paying news publishers

France fines Google €500 million in an argument over paying news publishers
Photo: https://studysateek.in/tech-updates/france-fines-google-500-million-euros-for-poor-competition-against-the-press/ 28.07.2021 1140

France’s competition regulator (Autorité de la Concurrence) fined Google $592 million for failing to come to an agreement with French news publishers. The controversy arose when Google failed to suggest a compensation plan. Leading French publications, such as Le Point, emphasize that this is the largest fine that the French antimonopoly authority has ever issued.

The main reason for the fine was the failure of the American tech giant Google to comply with its obligation to negotiate allied copyright rights in the online press. These measures reflect the general trends in the European Union, which seeks to combat the digital monopolization and strengthening of tech companies. In 2019 European Union adopted a EU copyright directive which established the necessary agreement between tech companies and publishers.

Google, in its first statement, noted that news companies benefit from the number of readers who get access to materials on the websites. The news publishers, in turn, emphasize that tech giants use information from commercial media and take the major share of ad revenue.

French agency is planning to take measures until Google makes concessions, the next step will be the introduction of fines in the amount of 900,000 euros (around $1 million) per day if Google doesn't come up with proposals within two months. 

Source: https://www.npr.org/2021/07/13/1015596060/france-fines-google-592m-in-a-dispute-over-paying-news-publishers-for-content#:~:text=Michel%20Euler%2FAP-,France's%20competition%20regulator%20fined%20Google%20500%20million%20euros%20(%24592,over%20payments%20for%20their%20news 

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