Germany drops antitrust probe into Google News Showcase service after the internet giant made “significant changes” to alleviate competition concerns.
The decision comes after Google made a major concession earlier this year by proposing to omit “Google News Showcase” items from its regular search results.
“Google has responded to our concerns and implemented important adjustments to the benefit of publishers,” said Andreas Mundt, president of Germany’s Federal Cartel Office.
“It will continue to be irrelevant for the ranking of the search results whether or not a publisher participates in Showcase.”
Google did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
The “Google News Showcase,” which debuted in 2020, allows participating publications to prominently display their journalistic work on a specified platform.
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