Polish Regulator Suspects Google Abused Dominant Position in Publisher Payment Talks
UOKiK says Google withheld data needed for fair talks, and the regulator said a dominant-market abuse case could bring a fine of up to 10% of turnover.
- On Monday, Poland's antitrust watchdog UOKiK announced an investigation into Alphabet's Google for allegedly abusing its dominant market position while negotiating content payments with domestic media publishers.
- The investigation stems from a 2024 Polish copyright law amendment that implemented an EU directive requiring online services to compensate press publishers for content displayed in Google Search, Google News, and Discover.
- UOKiK President Tomasz Chrostny stated Google failed to provide publishers with necessary data for fair negotiations, adding, 'Big tech companies cannot place themselves above the law.'
- Potential penalties for abusing a dominant position could reach 10 per cent of turnover, with the regulator targeting Alphabet Inc, Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited, and Google Poland.
- This independent probe follows an agreement with the European Commission and remains separate from its December 2025 investigation into Google's AI services. Polish e-commerce platform Ceneo sued Alphabet for $568 million in 2024.
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A POLISH regulator is investigating whether Google is abusing its position.
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PressNewsAgencyPolish regulator suspects Google abused dominant position in publisher payment talks
GDANSK, Poland, Oct 5 : Poland's antitrust watchdog said on Monday it suspected Alphabet's Google of abusing its dominant market position while negotiating content payments with domestic media publishers.The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, known by its Polish abbreviation UOKiK, said the char
The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) announced on Monday that it has brought charges against four Google Group companies for abusing their dominant position. The allegations concern the terms of settlements with Polish press publishers for the use of their content in the Google search engine and the Google News and Google Discover services.
The company is dragging its feet on implementing the 2024 regulations.
The penalty for abuse of a dominant position on the market can be up to ten percent of the company's revenue.
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