Alphabet: E250m fine from French Competition Authority

(CercleFinance.com) - The French Competition Authority (Autorité de la Concurrence) has imposed a fine of E250m on Alphabet, Google, Google Ireland and Google France for failing to comply with certain commitments made mandatory by decision 22-D-13 of 21 June 2022.


These decisions come against a backdrop marked by the adoption of the law of 24 July 2019 on neighboring rights (transposing the European directive on copyright and neighboring rights of 17 April 2019) aimed at establishing the conditions for balanced negotiation between publishers, press agencies and digital platforms.

This legislative framework aimed to redefine, in favor of press players, the sharing of value between these players and to respond to the profound changes that the press sector has been undergoing for several years, in particular the growth in digital audiences, a corollary to the decline in 'paper' circulation, and the capture of a significant share of advertising value by the major digital platforms, the Competition Authority says.

After issuing emergency measures in the form of injunctions in April 2020 (decision 20-MC-01 of 9 April 2020), the Authority found that these had not been complied with, sanctioned Google to the tune of E500m and ordered it to comply, under penalty, with the injunctions initially issued (decision 21-D-17 of 12 July 2021).


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