We don’t rake in profits off news, Google tells Competition Commission

The Competition Commission has welcomed Google Search’s participation in its media inquiry — represented by an all-women team — saying its presence shows that the corporation respects the commission’s jurisdiction and the importance of issues around the media in South Africa.

However, during the discussions, commission chairperson James Hodge accused the search engine’s representatives of being overly defensive and evasive in their responses to questions around privacy concerns, its tech, how much information it stored on users and the profits it gleaned off the media.

The commission’s media and digital platforms market inquiry kicked off on Monday 4 March 2024. It continues this week in Pretoria.