France Court Orders Google To Stop Move To Suppress Media Content In Search Results

France Court Orders Google To Stop Move To Suppress Media Content In Search Results

A Paris commercial court has ordered Google to stop an alleged plan to limit access to certain media articles in its search results.

The court’s decision on Wednesday was in response to an emergency injunction filed by SEPM, a union representing magazine staff in France, AFP reports.

The SEPM claimed that Google intended to test a scheme starting Thursday that would remove search results from some media outlets with which it has been in ongoing disputes over online news rights.

Google clarified, however, that the project was merely a “time-limited experiment” aimed at assessing the impact of content from European publishers on users’ search experiences.

The issue stems from years-long debates about revenue sharing, as Google and other platforms have been accused of profiting from news content without compensating its creators.

In response, the European Union developed “neighbouring rights,” a copyright policy allowing media outlets to seek payments for their content.

France, a key player in enforcing these rights, initially saw resistance from tech giants. Eventually, Google and Facebook conceded, agreeing to pay certain French media for displaying their content in searches.

The Paris court order, seen by AFP, directed Google LLC, Google Ireland, and Google France to “not proceed to test” the scheme or face fines of “300,000 euros each.”

SEPM, representing 80 media groups, praised the ruling, asserting it would “preserve the interests of the French press.”

Reacting to the order, Google expressed “surprise” at SEPM’s objections, stating the data was intended to meet requests from “independent administrative authorities and press publishers” to understand the impact of news content display in search results.

This ruling follows France’s competition authority’s recent 250-million-euro fine against Google in March for not fulfilling commitments on neighbouring rights.

Google’s disputes mirror broader tensions with media in France, as platform X (formerly Twitter) faces legal action from prominent French publications, and Agence France-Presse’s lawsuit against X awaits a court hearing on 15 May 2025