In a strategic response to the European Copyright Directive (EUCD), Google has announced a limited test in several European countries, temporarily removing content from EU-based news publishers from its Search, News, and Discover products.
This “small” experiment, affecting just 1% of users in nine European nations, offers significant insights into the evolving relationship between tech giants and news publishers. It comes at a critical moment when both the publishing industry and regulators are grappling with the influence of platforms like Google on the media landscape. This article explores the context, purpose, potential outcomes, and broader implications of Google’s experiment.
Table of Contents
The European Copyright Directive and Google’s Response
The European Copyright Directive (EUCD), adopted in 2019, introduced a framework aimed at ensuring fair compensation for content creators and publishers in the digital space. Under this directive, platforms that aggregate or display news snippets are required to negotiate licenses with publishers. This legislation was seen as a victory for publishers, particularly as it called for a rebalancing of the digital ecosystem, where a few dominant tech platforms, including Google and Facebook, wield substantial influence over traffic and revenue distribution in the news industry.
For Google, a platform that has relied on freely aggregating and linking to publisher content, the directive posed a unique challenge. In response, Google has implemented measures to comply with EUCD regulations, such as removing snippets from search results when licenses are not in place and forming partnerships to offer fair compensation to publishers. However, with ongoing requests from regulators and publishers for more data on how Google’s services impact news distribution and traffic, Google has initiated this test.
Scope and Structure of the Test
According to Google, the test is designed to run for a limited time and will involve 1% of users in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. During the test period, content from EU-based publishers will not appear in Google’s Search, News, and Discover products for these users. Non-EU news publishers’ content will still be accessible in these services, allowing Google to compare user engagement, traffic generation, and search experience outcomes between EU-based and non-EU content.
In describing the test, Google emphasized its minimal scale, noting that it will only affect a small fraction of its user base and has no immediate plans to expand the scope or duration. However, the test’s small scale does not undermine its potential impact, as even minor shifts in Google’s approach to displaying news can have significant ripple effects across the media landscape, particularly for smaller and regional publishers that depend on digital visibility.
Purpose of the Experiment
The primary purpose of Google’s test is to gauge the impact that its products—namely Search, News, and Discover—have on EU-based publishers in terms of traffic and visibility. By removing EU publisher content temporarily, Google aims to understand better the specific role its platform plays in driving readership to news websites. Key aspects of interest include:
- Traffic Analysis: The test allows Google and regulators to analyze the extent to which Google products directly drive traffic to news sites. While large, established publishers may have diverse traffic sources, smaller outlets are more dependent on Google Search and News referrals, which raises concerns about the potential disproportionate impact on smaller publishers.
- User Experience Impact: Google aims to assess how the absence of EU-based news content affects the user experience. For users in the test group, their experience could differ significantly if they are accustomed to accessing news from EU publishers via Google. This data will likely help Google in evaluating its current product offerings, understanding user preferences, and identifying areas where adjustments might be necessary to maintain user satisfaction.
- Policy Insights for Regulators and Publishers: The test offers tangible data that can assist EU regulators and publishers in understanding the real-world impact of the EUCD. By analyzing the changes in user behavior, engagement, and traffic, policymakers can better understand the economic impact of the directive on publishers and the role of Google as a gatekeeper in the digital news ecosystem.
Potential Impacts on EU Publishers
This experiment raises several important questions regarding the future of news publishing in Europe, as the results could have far-reaching implications for traffic, revenue, and audience engagement.
- Traffic and Revenue Risks: Many news publishers rely heavily on Google’s platform to drive web traffic, with a significant portion of their readership arriving via Search, News, or Discover. A temporary removal from these channels may reveal just how dependent publishers are on Google and may highlight vulnerabilities in their traffic sources. Should Google decide to limit access to publisher content more permanently, publishers may need to invest heavily in alternative traffic-generation strategies, such as building direct readership or increasing dependence on social media.
- Audience Reach and Visibility: For smaller, regional, and niche publishers, being featured on Google News and other services is a vital means of reaching new audiences. A significant drop in traffic due to reduced visibility could have repercussions for audience engagement and brand recognition, particularly for those outlets that do not have robust direct engagement channels.
- Pressure on EU Publishers to Diversify Revenue Streams: If Google’s test results in a noticeable dip in traffic for EU-based publishers, it may underscore the need for publishers to explore and develop new revenue streams outside of Google’s ecosystem. While some larger publishers have diversified into subscription models, regional and smaller publishers may find this transition challenging, requiring additional resources and investments.
