CCI orders probe against Google for abuse of dominance in news gathering

The complaint was filed by the Digital News Publishers Association, which promotes and protects the interests of digital news publishers.

The association stated that the majority of traffic to news websites comes from online search engines (over 50%), with Google claiming to be the most dominant search engine.

Based on the same, it stated that 50% of the total traffic to news websites is routed through Google and, being the major player in this sector, Google determines through its algorithms which news website It is discovered through search.

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The association said that its members, engaged in the business of news media, always strive to provide reliable and fact-checked news, which is the cornerstone of any democracy, but with the emergence of digital news media and the pandemic , serious disruption.

The complainant said that news media companies make context for the audience to interface with the advertiser, but online search engines like Google leverage the revenue and return much higher than publishers.

It has been argued that not only does Google have a monopoly with regard to search in India, but it also has a very strong position in ad arbitrage and controls a major share at each level.

It was also alleged that Google is a major stakeholder in the digital advertising sector, and that it unilaterally dictates the amount to be paid to publishers for the content they create, as well as the terms on which the amount will be paid. to be paid.

Accordingly, the CCI has directed the Director General (DG) to investigate the matter under the provisions of Section 26(1) of the Act. The CCI has also directed the DG to complete the investigation and submit the report within 60 days from the date of receipt of the order.