The French competition watchdog fined Google €250 million for failing to reach agreements with media outlets for publishing their content links and using press content to train its AI. According to the watchdog, Google has agreed not to dispute the facts as part of settlement proceedings. Additionally, the company has proposed remedies to address certain issues. This fine stems from a copyright disagreement in France regarding online content sparked by complaints from major news organizations like Agence France Presse (AFP).
This move escalates France’s bid for fair treatment in the media sector, following a previous €500 million fine for similar abuses. The regulator criticized Google for not negotiating deals in good faith and training its AI on press content without notifying authorities or publishers.
French Regulator Takes Action Against Google
France is stepping up efforts to ensure fair treatment in the media industry by imposing a €250 million fine on Google. This follows a previous €500 million fine for similar misconduct. The French regulator criticized Google for not negotiating deals with press publishers fairly and for training its AI, initially called “Bard” and now “Gemini,” on press content without proper notification to authorities or publishers.
Google Calls Fine Disproportionate
Google has reached a settlement with regulators, but the company feels the fine is too high. In a blog post, Google expressed that the fine doesn’t fairly consider their efforts to address the concerns raised.
The French antitrust authority wants Big Tech companies to negotiate deals with press publishers for using their content as part of the EU’s Copyright Directive. Similarly, the German authorities dropped an investigation into Google’s News Showcase service after the company had addressed its concerns. In 2014, Google withdrew its News service from Spain due to laws allowing Spanish publications to charge for snippets of their work. However, Google News was later reinstated in Spain.
Tackling News Revenue Sharing
Google and other online platforms have been accused of profiting from news content without sharing the revenue with its creators. To address this, the EU introduced “neighbouring rights” copyright laws, allowing print media to demand compensation for the use of their content.
France has been a key test ground for these rules. Initially resistant, Google and Facebook eventually agreed to pay French media for articles displayed in web searches. In 2022, French regulators accepted Google’s commitment to negotiate fairly with news organizations. Under the agreement, Google must offer transparent payment terms to news groups within three months of receiving a copyright complaint. This agreement stems from a case lodged by French magazine and newspaper organizations and Agence France-Presse (AFP) with the regulator in 2019.
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