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EU Prepares New Investigation Into Google’s Treatment of News Publishers

By  |  November 12, 2025
Alphabet, Google

Brussels is preparing to open another investigation into Google’s parent company, Alphabet, over how the search giant ranks news outlets, according to the Financial Times. The move comes as former U.S. President Donald Trump threatens new tariffs against Europe in response to its tightening digital regulations.

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    Per the Financial Times, the European Commission plans to examine allegations that Google has been unfairly downgrading publishers that host “third-party” promotional material, including sponsored editorial content. Media organizations argue that such material plays a crucial role in sustaining their revenue models. Two EU officials told the outlet that the formal probe could be announced as early as Thursday, though the timing remains subject to change.

    The investigation will fall under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a law designed to rein in the power of large online “gatekeepers.” The DMA prohibits dominant tech platforms from manipulating their systems to disadvantage other market participants. Companies found in violation of the law can face penalties of up to 10 percent of their global annual revenue, according to the Financial Times.

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    This latest action signals that the newly appointed European Commission, which began its current term in December, intends to maintain a hard line on enforcing the DMA. That stance could heighten tensions with Washington, as Trump has previously described EU penalties on U.S. tech firms as a “form of taxation.”

    Read more: DOJ Clears Alphabet’s $32 Billion Wiz Acquisition

    According to the Financial Times, Google is already facing several other EU probes under the same legislation. Regulators are examining whether the company’s search engine favors its own services and whether its app store policies make it difficult for developers to direct users to competing offers outside Google’s ecosystem.

    The planned investigation comes just two months after the European Commission imposed a €2.95 billion fine on Google for anti-competitive practices in its search advertising business. That penalty—one of the largest ever levied against the company by Brussels—prompted Trump to intensify threats of retaliatory tariffs against European goods. The EU has previously fined Google €4.12 billion for using its Android operating system to suppress rival platforms.

    Both the European Commission and Google declined to comment on the upcoming announcement, according to the Financial Times. However, Google has stated that some users have raised concerns about “parasite SEO” and “site reputation abuse,” practices in which reputable sites host low-quality or misleading content. The company has said it enforces its spam policies through “a careful review process that included a well-defined reconsideration process for affected site owners.”

    Source: The Financial Times