Tech

European media ‘deeply regrets’ EU plans to ditch search engine payouts

European media groups voiced concern Tuesday (14 March) that the European Union could ditch plans to force search engines like Google to pay them when their content is used.

The European Commission's proposal contained a controversial "Google tax" to charge internet companies for linking to online news. [Spencer E Holtaway/Flickr]

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Background

The European Commission presented a plan to charge internet companies for linking to online news as part of a controversial overhaul of EU copyright law presented in September 2016.

The proposal followed a heated, two-year-long fight over whether the “Google tax” will help publishers stay profitable—or simply be an over-ambitious regulation that could “break the Internet”.

Hours before the executive published its copyright proposal, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in his annual State of the Union speech that he wants “journalists, publishers and authors to be paid fairly for their work, whether it is made in studios or living rooms, whether it is disseminated offline or online, whether it is published via a copying machine or commercially hyperlinked on the web".

The so-called Google tax for news publishers has been sharply criticised by Google and other online firms that came under fire when similar laws were introduced in Germany and Spain.

Commission pushes controversial 'Google tax' to save news publishers

EU plans to charge internet companies for linking to online news were presented today (14 September) after a heated, two-year-long fight over whether the “Google tax” will help publishers stay profitable—or simply be overzealous regulation that could "break the internet".

Timeline

  • 22-23 March:  Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee debates copyright reform
  • 30 March: Deadline for amendments
  • June: Planned vote in Legal Affairs Committee
  • Late 2017 / early 2018: Expected plenary vote

Further Reading

Updated: 29-09-2024

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