Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 23, 2025

MailOnline sues Google for allegedly hiding links to its articles

MailOnline sues Google for allegedly hiding links to its articles

Publisher cites users being directed to smaller outlets when searching for Meghan and Piers Morgan
MailOnline is suing Google after alleging the search engine hides links to its articles on topics such as “Meghan Markle” and “Piers Morgan”, setting up a legal battle between one of the world’s biggest news websites and the tech giant.

Google is accused by MailOnline of having too much control over the online advertising market and of systematically downgrading links to its stories in favour of other sites, citing coverage of the royal family.

British users searching for Piers Morgan’s comments on the Duchess of Sussex last month were substantially more likely to see articles about him produced by smaller regional outlets such as the Manchester Evening News and Newcastle Chronicle, MailOnline claimed.

This is despite MailOnline often writing multiple stories a day about the former Good Morning Britain host, who said he “didn’t believe a word” Meghan said in her interview with Oprah Winfrey, and employing him as a columnist.

In the lawsuit, filed in New York and described as “worthless” by Google, MailOnline alleges it is being punished by Google News’s algorithm after attempting to reduce its reliance on Google’s separate tools for selling online advertising.

“This lawsuit is to hold Google to account for their continued anti-competitive behaviour including manipulation of ad auctions and news search results, bid rigging, algorithm bias and exploiting its market power to harm their advertising rivals,” said a spokesperson.

“Despite increased criticism by regulators and governments around the world, Google’s ongoing behaviour clearly shows they are not prepared to change their conduct.” Google said MailOnline’s claims are “meritless”.

MailOnline has become one of the biggest news websites in the world – with a massive US audience – aided by its mix of celebrity pictures, rapid news aggregation and culture war stories.

News websites have an uncomfortable love-and-hate attitude to Google. The search engine can send millions of readers to an outlet if a story is shown prominently alongside popular search terms, allowing the publisher to reach new audiences and sell more advertising. But Google’s dominance of online display advertising means the tech company has become hugely profitable at a time when traditional news publishers have lost ad revenue.

MailOnline’s lawsuit also shows the importance of search engine optimisation (SEO) to news websites. For many years, outlets have commissioned articles featuring certain popular names or keywords in the hope of catching the attention of Google News’ algorithm.

One major issue for all outlets is the lack of transparency on how Google decides which stories to show. Some publishers believe Google favours results from news outlets that produce more original reporting. It increasingly prioritises results from websites which have limited amounts of advertising and are fast-loading, a move which has hit some ad-heavy websites.

Google said it would be fighting the lawsuit. “The Daily Mail’s claims are completely inaccurate. The use of our ad tech tools has no bearing on how a publisher’s website ranks in Google search. More generally, we compete in a crowded and competitive ad tech space where publishers have and exercise multiple options,” a spokesperson said. “The Daily Mail itself authorises dozens of ad tech companies to sell and manage their ad space, including Amazon, Verizon and more. We will defend ourselves against these meritless claims.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×