Google faces EU probe over alleged demotion of publishers’ commercial content

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into Google after monitoring suggested the company may have been pushing commercial content from news publishers so far down search results that it had effectively become invisible.

According to The Guardian, officials believe Google’s anti-spam policies may be disadvantaging media organisations’ advertiser-funded content in a way that breaches the Digital Markets Act, which requires fair and non-discriminatory access to the platform. Google has rejected the allegations, calling the inquiry “misguided” and “without merit”.

Key Points from The Guardian’s Coverage

• Commission officials said the alleged demotion had caused a potential “loss of visibility and of revenue” for affected publishers.

• The investigation focuses on advertiser and sponsor-driven content on news sites rather than core editorial output.

• Officials noted that commercial partnerships, such as a newspaper offering Nike discounts, were “normal commercial practice” that should be treated fairly online.

• Teresa Ribera said: “We are concerned that Google’s policies do not allow news publishers to be treated in a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory manner in its search results.”

• Google argued that the inquiry risks harming users and insisted its anti-spam policy is intended to provide “trustworthy results” and counter “deceptive pay-for-play tactics”.

• The commission stressed this was a standard non-compliance inquiry under the DMA, with fines of up to 20% of revenue only possible if systematic breaches are proven.

My Analysis

This investigation strikes at one of the most sensitive pressure points in the digital publishing ecosystem: the fragile commercial models that depend on visibility in search. Affiliate partnerships and sponsored subdomains have become increasingly important revenue lines for many publishers as traditional advertising softens and subscriptions face competitive pressure. If Google’s anti-spam policies are indeed downgrading this content across the board, the impact on publishers’ bottom lines could be substantial.

What stands out is the Commission’s framing. It is treating commercial content not as a fringe activity but as a legitimate extension of news organisations’ business models that deserves fair treatment under the DMA. This reflects a broader policy mood in Brussels, one that is increasingly defensive of media plurality and funding as AI and platform consolidation reshape the information market.

For publishers and commercial leaders, the case is a reminder of the ongoing dependency on search visibility and the importance of maintaining diverse revenue channels. Even inadvertent or opaque algorithmic changes can have immediate knock-on effects on e-commerce income, branded partnerships and reader acquisition funnels.

Google’s response suggests it will position this as a misunderstanding of anti-spam enforcement rather than an abuse of gatekeeper power. If that argument holds, the industry may see tighter clarity around compliant formats for affiliate and sponsored content rather than a regulatory showdown. If the Commission concludes otherwise, the repercussions could include forced policy changes at Google or even significant penalties, which would signal a tougher DMA enforcement era.

From here, two plausible scenarios emerge. One is a negotiated outcome where Google refines guidance and publishers adjust their content structures to meet anti-spam expectations, restoring visibility without heavy regulatory intervention. The other is a more adversarial path in which the EU seeks to make an example of Google to reinforce the DMA’s authority, prompting a broader reset of how commercial content is treated in search results. Either way, publishers should prepare for more scrutiny of hybrid editorial-commercial formats and for the possibility that platform-driven volatility will remain a chronic strategic risk.