Google Appeals France’s $591 Million Fine
On Wednesday, Google announced its plan to appeal against a €500 million ($591 million) fine which was imposed by France’s antitrust watchdog in July over a dispute in the local media about paying for news content.
Google was fined amid increasing international pressure on online platforms to share more of the revenue they generate from using media outlets’ news.
Head of Google France, Sebastien Missoffe said: “We disagree with a number of legal elements, and believe that the fine is disproportionate to our efforts to reach an agreement and comply with the new law. We continue to work hard to resolve this case and put deals in place. This includes expanding offers to 1,200 publishers, clarifying aspects of our contracts, and sharing more data as requested by the French Competition Authority.”
Google received its $591 million fine for failing to comply with the antitrust body’s orders on how to conduct talks with publishers. On Wednesday, the watchdog said that Google’s appeal, which will be ruled on by Paris’ court of appeal, would not hold up the fine. It remains unclear as to how the appeal process may take.
