Poland’s antitrust watchdog, UOKiK, said on Monday it suspects Alphabet’s Google of abusing its dominant market position. The regulator alleges Google failed to provide domestic media publishers with the data needed for fair negotiations over content payments.
The investigation focuses on payments for displaying articles and snippets in Google Search, Google News and Discover. UOKiK says the information imbalance prevents fair negotiations and allows Google to impose its own terms.
The probe follows a 2024 Polish law implementing an EU copyright directive. If found guilty of abusing its dominant position, Google could face a fine of up to 10% of its annual turnover.
The investigation is separate from a broader European Commission probe into Google’s use of publisher content for its AI services.