This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Alphabet (GOOGL, Financials) is planning to change the way news results are shown on Google Search in Europe as the tech giant looks to avoid future antitrust fines from European Union regulators.Google has offered tweaks to its news search rankings as part of ongoing conversations with authorities investigating whether the company is following European competition regulations, Bloomberg reported.The move comes as Alphabet faces increased regulatory scrutiny across Europe, where authorities have levied over 9.5 billion ($11.2 billion) in fines related to antitrust infractions over the previous several years.The specifics of the planned reforms have not been fully divulged, but the discussions point to growing pressure on major technology companies to ensure equal treatment of publishers and rival digital platforms in search results.Investors are constantly watching the regulatory climate as more limits or penalties might undermine Google’s dominance in advertising and its long-term profitability. Europe continues to be among the most aggressive regions in the world in terms of regulating big IT companies.The fresh talks come as Alphabet is expanding its AI-powered search products, a move that might invite even more scrutiny from regulators concerned about market dominance and anticompetitive behavior.
