Paris: French competition regulator finches Google 500 million euros ($ 592 million) on Tuesday for failing to negotiate with good faith with French publishers in disputes over their payments.
Agencies threaten another 900,000 euro penalty (around $ 1 million) per day if Google does not produce a proposal within two months about how it will compensate for publishers and news agencies for their content.
Google France said in a statement “Very disappointed” by the decision, and that fine “does not reflect the efforts placed or reality to use news content on our platform.” It was said to be negotiating with good faith against the solution, and that it was on the verge of reaching an agreement with several publishers.
Disputes are part of a greater effort by the authorities in the EU and around the world to force Google and other technology companies to compensate for publishers for content.
The French antitrust body has issued a temporary order to Google in April 2020 to hold talks within three months with the news publisher, and fined the company Tuesday for violating the command.
“When the authority imposes orders to the company, they are required to apply it carefully, respect their letters and spirits.
In this case, unfortunately this does not happen,” President Watchdog, Isabelle de Silva, said in a statement.
“Google negotiations with publishers and press agencies cannot be considered done in good faith.” The company was forced to negotiate with the French publisher after last year’s court was enforced by a command that said the agreement was needed by the head of EU copyright of the 2019.
France was the first of 27 blocks of blocks to adopt direction, which described the way to publishers and news companies to attack transactions License with online platform.
In Australia, Google and Facebook have signed a license transaction with a news company after the government issued this year’s law requires digital giants to help pay journalism.