Poland’s antitrust watchdog, UOKiK, said on Monday that it suspects Alphabet’s Google of abusing its dominant market position in negotiations with domestic media publishers over content payments. The regulator alleges Google failed to provide the data needed for fair talks.
The probe 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 investigation follows a 2024 Polish law implementing an EU copyright directive. If found to have abused its dominant position, Google could face a fine of up to 10% of its annual turnover.
The UOKiK investigation is separate from a broader European Commission probe into Google’s use of publisher content for its AI services.