Google has proposed changes to its site reputation abuse policy, commonly known as its spam policy, to address European Commission concerns that it unfairly disadvantages news publishers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), according to a Commission document seen by Reuters. The proposal aims to avert a potential antitrust fine and comes amid an ongoing investigation opened in November 2025.

The policy targets 'parasite SEO'—a practice where third-party content is hosted on a site to exploit its search ranking. EU regulators found the policy demotes legitimate publisher content that includes material from commercial partners, affecting a key monetization method. The Commission's monitoring indicates the enforcement of this rule has broad impact on media organizations' visibility in search results.

Google said it is engaging constructively with the Commission, emphasizing its goal to maintain useful search results and protect users from deceptive spam. The company's proposed changes are now open for feedback from interested parties until next week. The European Commission has declined to comment, and a decision is expected after the consultation period concludes.