he European Commission has announced on Thursday the initiation of a formal investigation against Google for discriminating against media content in search results, a practice that, if confirmed, constitutes a violation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and exposes the company to a hefty fine, as reported by Europa Press.
"We are taking steps to ensure that digital gatekeepers do not unfairly restrict companies that rely on them for promoting their own products and services," stated the Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Competition, Teresa Ribera, in a statement explaining the start of the sanctioning process.
The Commission has specified that Brussels' concerns focus on Google's policies "not allowing news publishers to receive fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory treatment in their search results."
Therefore, they added, community services will investigate thoroughly to ensure that media outlets "do not lose significant revenue in a challenging time for the industry, and to ensure that Google complies with the Digital Markets Act."
The European Commission aims to conclude the investigation within a maximum period of twelve months from the opening of the procedure, during which they may inform Alphabet if they find clear evidence of non-compliance and detail possible measures to resolve the investigation.
In case of infringement, the Commission can impose fines of up to 10% of the total turnover of the company worldwide; a penalty that can be increased to 20% in case of recurrence.