Joint statement on GDPR Day One from European Publishers Council, Digital Content Next, News Media Alliance (U.S.) and News Media Association (U.K.), which represent more than 4,000 publishers globally. 

May 25, 2018 – “This is only day one, but the biggest problem is Google’s inflexibility around the legal contract they expect publishers to sign. Despite the facade of cooperation, Google is effectively saying to publishers that they have to trust what they do with their readers’ data, whilst not telling them what they actually do with that data.

In the context of serious liability under GDPR, publishers will find it difficult to accept these terms. Google is effectively putting a gun against publishers’ heads. As we know, Google holds a vast share of the digital advertising market and there are very few alternatives. The implication in not signing Google’s GDPR terms, and not doing business with them, is that publishers will suffer dire consequences in terms of revenues. This is a flagrant abuse of their dominant position.”