Poland Charges Google with Antitrust Violations in Publisher Payments
Poland’s UOKiK formally charged four Google affiliates with antitrust violations in October 2026.
Why it matters: This enforcement highlights ongoing European regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech’s market conduct, impacting legal strategies for tech companies and counsel worldwide.
- Charges filed October 5, 2026, against Alphabet, Google LLC, Google Ireland, and Google Poland.
- Accused of abusing dominant market position by withholding data needed for fair publisher compensation.
- Poland’s 2024 copyright law changes implemented the EU Digital Single Market Directive on publisher remuneration.
- Google faces fines up to 10% of annual global turnover if found guilty.
On October 5, 2026, Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) announced formal antitrust charges against four Google entities: Alphabet Inc., Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited, and Google Poland. The charges stem from alleged abuse of Google’s dominant position during negotiations over remuneration with Polish news publishers.
The core allegation is that Google failed to provide publishers with necessary data to assess fair payments for the use of their content. This conduct occurred despite Poland’s 2024 amendments to its copyright laws that implemented the EU’s Digital Single Market Directive. Those changes require platforms like Google to fairly compensate publishers when using their content.
Tomasz Chróstny, UOKiK’s president, emphasized that "Big tech companies cannot place themselves above the law. The rules clearly specify what information Google should provide to publishers in order to settle accounts fairly for the content it uses."
UOKiK’s investigation is independent of the European Commission’s December 2025 probe into Google’s use of publisher content for AI training purposes. This signals a broader regulatory focus on Google’s media-related market conduct.
If the charges are upheld, Google risks fines up to 10% of its annual global turnover, illustrating the severe penalties that European authorities may impose to enforce compliance in digital content licensing.
This case underscores the ongoing challenge regulators face in ensuring transparent and fair dealings between Big Tech platforms and content creators, with significant implications for legal compliance and media licensing agreements across Europe.
By the numbers:
- 2024 — Year Poland amended copyright laws to implement the EU Digital Single Market Directive.
- October 5, 2026 — Date when charges were filed by Poland's UOKiK against Google.
- 10% — Maximum possible fine of Google’s annual global turnover if found guilty.