Google Relaxes Search Spam Policy in Europe Amid Antitrust Fears
Google has adjusted its search spam enforcement in Europe to avoid antitrust fines from regulatory authorities. The move comes after complaints from digital publishers regarding Google's enforcement of its site reputation abuse policy.
The policy aims to prevent 'parasite SEO,' where third parties host content on established websites to exploit their strong search rankings.
Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), non-compliant corporations face potential financial penalties reaching up to 10% of their total annual worldwide turnover.
To address regulator scrutiny, Google confirmed that its manual ranking penalties will be suspended across European markets. Starting August 30, manual search demotions under the site reputation policy will no longer affect queries or content within the 27 EU member states, along with Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein (the European Economic Area).
The policy adjustment applies exclusively within the EEA, with standard enforcement rules continuing unchanged across all other international regions.