Commission opens EU DMA breach investigation into Google search practices
The European Commission has formally launched proceedings to assess whether Google applies fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory conditions of access to publishers’ websites on Google Search, as required under the EU Digital Markets Act (EU DMA). The investigation focuses on Google’s site reputation abuse policy, which, according to the Commission’s monitoring, appears to demote news media and other publishers’ websites and content in Google Search results where those sites include content from commercial partners. The Commission is examining whether Alphabet’s demotions may breach Articles 6(5) and 6(12) of the DMA, which require transparent, fair and non-discriminatory conditions for search ranking. The policy appears to affect publishers’ ability to monetise their websites through legitimate business partnerships with third-party content providers. The initiation of proceedings does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. The Commission aims to conclude its inquiry within 12 months of the opening of proceedings on 13 November 2025. If non-compliance is established, penalties may reach up to 10% of Alphabet’s total worldwide turnover, rising to 20% for repeated infringement, with potential additional remedies including divestment of business operations in cases of systemic non-compliance.