South Africa’s Competition Commission has provisionally found that Google, Meta Platforms, and X (formerly Twitter) engaged in anti-competitive practices detrimental to local news media outlets.
The investigation revealed that Google’s search algorithms disproportionately favor global media over local, community-based, and indigenous-language news sources, leading to reduced visibility and traffic for South African publishers.
To address these concerns, the Commission recommends that Google annually compensates South African media between 300 million and 500 million rand (approximately $27.29 million) over a period of three to five years.
Additionally, Google is urged to modify its search algorithms to enhance the prominence of local news content. Should Google, Meta, and X fail to implement the proposed measures within six months of the final report, they could face a tariff of 5% to 10% on digital advertising revenue.
In response, Google has expressed disagreement with the Commission’s findings, while Meta has yet to comment on the matter.
