Joint letters
The European Magazine Media Association (EMMA), the European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA), and News Media Europe (NME) have taken note of the announcement by Google of a test to suppress European press content in Google News, Search, and Discover. This test according to Google will affect 1% of users in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. France was originally included in the list for countries targeted but the attempt was justifiably blocked after court decisions.
Google had not consulted press publishers or press publishers’ associations on this study, nor had it informed them of it. Its announcement therefore came as a complete surprise. We are extremely concerned about the lack of information on and transparency of this initiative, as well as the consequences this might have for European press publishers. We therefore urge Google to suspend its testing with immediate effect and enter into a dialogue with the European press publishing sector to agree, constructively and transparently, on a common way forward.
➢ The importance of press content in Google's revenue model is a long-running discussion point, and Google has so far been less than transparent. Google’s unilateral announcement that press content is being curtailed is not only an inappropriate response to the transparency issue but an unacceptable move – Google will be assessing Google on the basis of research parameters determined by Google.
➢ We note that for years, tech companies have systematically presented the value of our press content in, for example, search, without substantiation, much smaller than it actually is.
➢ Especially with a digital gatekeeper like Google, it is crucial that any potential research is done in full transparency and timely consultation with publishers, independently tested and verified by independent third parties, and that results are shared publicly.
The European Magazine Media Association, is the unique and complete representation of Europe’s magazine media, which is today enjoyed by millions of consumers on various platforms, encompassing both paper and digital formats.
The European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA) is the largest representative body of newspaper publishers across Europe. ENPA advocates for 14 national associations across 14 European countries, and is a principal interlocutor to the EU institutions and a key driver of media policy debates in the European Union.
