Google Conducts Bold Test Of Removing EU News From Its Search Results For Limited Time

As Google continues to navigate its complex relationships with publishers, regulators, and news consumers, the company is embarking on a significant experiment: removing news articles from European Union-based publishers from its Search platform.

This test aims to evaluate the impact on traffic and the overall search experience but will only affect a limited audience. Specifically, Google will exclude EU news articles from Search, Google News, and Discover for 1% of users in nine countries: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.

According to Google, this “time-limited” experiment responds to requests from EU regulators and publishers for more data on how news content affects Search. During the test, results from non-EU publishers and websites will still appear, and content from EU publishers will return once the trial concludes.

A warning to EU countries

While framed as a test, this move could also serve as a warning. EU publishers will likely experience a measurable decline in traffic, highlighting their dependence on Google. At the same time, the experiment will help Google gauge how much its users prioritize news content—a question Facebook has already explored. Facebook ultimately removed its “News” tab and ceased compensating publishers entirely.

Google has long opposed regulations requiring it to pay publishers for their content. In the EU, the company must comply with the European Copyright Directive, which has led to licensing agreements with hundreds of publishers. However, disputes remain; for instance, France fined Google $272 million earlier this year for violating a compensation agreement.

This is not an isolated incident. Google recently removed links to California news outlets in response to the state’s Journalism Preservation Act and has made similar threats in Canada. The company also nearly withdrew its search engine from Australia over comparable legislation. If this EU experiment is a sign of future strategies, Google could be preparing to take even more aggressive steps in response to regulatory challenges worldwide.