Google has been slapped with multi-million fine by France’s antitrust watchdog

Regulators slapped the tech giant with a$593 million fine for failing to comply with temporary orders it had given to hold talks with the country’s news publishers over ‘payment for content’.

The US tech giant has been given two months to come up with proposals on how it would compensate news agencies and other publishers for the use of their news. If it fails, it would face additional fines of up to 900,000 euros per day.

Failed talks between Google and publishers ignite accusations

News publishers APIG, SEPM, and AFP have accused the tech giant of having failed to open talks in good faith with them to find common ground for the remuneration of news content online, under a recent EU directive that creates so-called “neighboring rights”.

The case is itself focused on whether Google breached temporary orders issued by the antitrust authority, which demanded such talks take place within three months with any news publishers that ask for them.

APIG, which represents most major print news publishers, remains one of the plaintiffs, in spite of having signed a framework agreement since it has been put on hold pending antitrust decision, sources have told Reuters.