Google incurs a US$590 million fine in a news media compensation row

A rising tide of dissatisfaction with the effect of big tech companies such as Google on news media and access to it on the part of various national bodies has come to a head in a new ruling against the Mountain View-based behemoth. The French antitrust monitor Autorité de la Concurrence has taken punitive action against the company following its failure to comply with an injunction to address these issues in the country.

The competition authority had upheld a complaint brought to it by a consortium of publishers, including the prominent French news-media group Agence France-Presse (AFP), that Google had appropriated their material for incorporation into its News app.

That was back in April 2020, whereupon Autorité de la Concurrence had directed Google to come to an agreement in order to compensate the group for the apparent infringement. However, the OEM has missed the deadline to do so, resulting in its latest fine, levied in accordance with new EU regulations.

Furthermore, should it now fail to strike a deal with AFP and its associates within 2 months, Google may incur additional penalties of up to €900,000 (~US$1.06 million) per day thereafter.

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