Fewer Croatian Journalistic Articles in Search Engines: Google Conducts a Test That Could Affect Advertising Revenues

Google, one of the largest internet search engines, is conducting a test that will also affect Croatian media publishers, according to which fewer contents from domestic authors and publishers will appear on their search engine in the future. Specifically, Google is conducting a test, which they state in their announcement is ‘small and time-limited’, in eight countries to determine the effect of removing EU-based news publishers from user search results. In addition to searches from Croatia, this ‘A/B testing’ also applies to Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. According to Google, about one percent of users in these countries will not see EU-based news publishers in Google News, search, and discovery for an unspecified time. The remaining 99 percent will not see any change in search results concerning news publishers.

The aim of this test is to collect data on how the absence of news affects user habits, traffic to publishers’ sites, and generally how users consume news. The test is part of Google’s alignment with the EU Copyright Directive, which requires technology platforms to provide fair compensation to publishers for using their content. However, through this experiment, Google is examining what happens when that content is completely absent, potentially testing its negotiating position in future discussions with publishers and regulators.

Romana Matanovac Vučković is a full professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Zagreb and one of the leading authorities in the field of intellectual property and copyright. She emphasizes for Lider that ‘the testing currently being conducted by Google, including Croatia, will have significant implications for domestic publishers, authors, and the media sector as a whole.’ The decision to exclude about one percent of users from the content of EU-based publishers in search results, news, and discovery may seem like a minor adjustment, but it brings important economic and strategic repercussions, according to Matanovac Vučković.

– For Croatian publishers and authors, this experiment raises questions about their visibility and access to audiences. If the data collected during the test shows a significant decrease in traffic to publishers or a reduction in user engagement, it could negatively impact advertising revenues, which are already under pressure. Furthermore, this move highlights how crucial negotiations between publishers and technology platforms are – she points out, adding that this is particularly important in the context of implementing the European Copyright Directive.

Namely, this EUCD directive provides publishers with the right to fair compensation for their content, but Google’s test potentially demonstrates what would happen if these platforms decide to selectively remove content, which, according to her words, is a clear reminder of how risky dependence on platforms can be.

– Croatian publishers should closely monitor the development of this situation and prepare for scenarios where negotiations about compensation and visibility become even more important. It is also crucial that regulatory bodies ensure transparency in such tests and assess their impact on market competition and media diversity. Ultimately, such experiments only confirm the need for diversifying traffic sources and strengthening media independence from large platforms. The Croatian media sector has the opportunity to draw important lessons from this test and engage more actively in the European dialogue about a fairer relationship between publishers and digital giants – concluded Matanovac Vučković.