In a bold experiment, Google is blocking news sites from European Union publishers from showing up in search results. The test is designed to see how users and publishers are affected. It's another example of how Google tests boundaries and works with regulators and the public.
Google’s Time-limited Test
This test, which affects just 1% of users in several EU countries including Belgium, France and Spain, removes news articles from EU-based sites from Google Search, Google News and Discover. Sites from outside the EU are not affected. The test is "time-limited" and Google wants to see the impact of news sites on search results.
Google said it's acting on requests from EU regulators and publishers who want to know how news content affects traffic and engagement. Once the test is over, Google plans to bring back EU news sites for those users.
Impact on Publishers
While Google says this is a limited test, the implications are much broader. Publishers will get a good sense of how much traffic they've been losing without Google's rankings. Google, in turn, will see how users engage with news. This is similar to what Facebook did earlier this year when it stopped paying publishers and got rid of its "News" tab after it measured how much news content drove engagement on its service.
Compliance Issues
This test is also about Google complying with regulations that require it to pay publishers. The EU's Copyright Directive requires Google to license content from many EU publishers. In May, Google was hit with a $272 million fine in France for not complying with an agreement to pay publishers.
Google has opposed laws around the world that would require it to pay news outlets. It has also removed links to California news sites.
