Key Takeaways
- Poland’s UOKiK has brought allegations against four companies in Google’s corporate group.
- The investigation focuses on information Google allegedly provided during negotiations with Polish publishers.
- The case is an allegation, not a final finding of competition-law wrongdoing.
Poland’s Competition Watchdog Turns Up the Pressure on Google
Google is facing a fresh regulatory challenge in Europe, this time over how it negotiates payments with Polish publishers. Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, known as UOKiK, says it has brought allegations against four companies in Google’s corporate group.
What UOKiK Is Investigating
The regulator says the case concerns remuneration for publishers whose articles and snippets appear through Google Search, Google News and Google Discover.
UOKiK alleges that Google may have failed to provide publishers with enough information during negotiations to properly assess proposed payments. The information at issue includes details about how press publications are used, related revenues, calculation methods and supporting documents.
According to the regulator, this could create an information imbalance between Google and publishers, making it harder for media companies to evaluate Google's proposals or develop their own data-based positions.
Why the Dispute Matters
The dispute comes after changes to Polish copyright rules in 2024 implementing the European Union's Digital Single Market copyright directive. UOKiK says the updated framework provides for remuneration when online services use press publishers' content and requires relevant information to be available during negotiations.
That puts transparency at the centre of the dispute. For publishers, access to meaningful information can be important when determining whether an offered payment reflects the value of their content.
TwikUp's Perspective
The case highlights a broader tension in the digital media economy: publishers depend on the platform as an important route to readers but, according to UOKiK, lack comparable bargaining power and complete information about the value of their content.
However, the regulator's allegations should not be confused with a final ruling. UOKiK's proceedings will determine whether Google's conduct breached competition rules. The regulator says abuse of a dominant position can carry a penalty of up to 10% of an undertaking's turnover.
UOKiK also says its case is separate from a European Commission investigation concerning Google's use of publisher content in AI services.