People CEO: Google’s 3 ‘Bad Actor’ Tactics Steal Content
People CEO: Google’s 3 ‘Bad Actor’ Tactics Steal Content
In a scathing critique of the world’s largest search engine, the People CEO, Alex Chen, has accused Google of employing “bad actor” tactics that effectively steal content and siphon revenue from digital publishers. During a keynote at the Digital Publishers Summit, Chen outlined three specific strategies that he argues create an unsustainable environment for creators who form the backbone of the internet’s information ecosystem.
This fiery declaration from the People CEO puts a name to the growing frustration felt across the media industry. While Google maintains its goal is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible, Chen argues this mission now comes at the direct expense of those who create the information in the first place. “We are not partners in this ecosystem anymore,” Chen stated. “We are merely the raw material for Google’s product.”
Article Contents
Tactic 1: The ‘Zero-Click’ Search Trap
Chen’s first point of contention is the rise of “zero-click” searches, primarily driven by Google’s Featured Snippets and People Also Ask boxes. These features scrape content directly from a publisher’s webpage and display it at the very top of the search results, often providing a complete answer to a user’s query.
While a publisher receives a “credit” in the form of a small link, the People CEO argues it’s a hollow victory. “Google is taking our meticulously researched, fact-checked, and edited content and using it to keep users on their own platform,” Chen explained. “They answer the user’s question with our labor, and we get nothing. The user has no reason to click through to our site, see our other work, or be exposed to the advertising that funds our journalism.”
This practice turns publisher websites into a free research and development department for Google’s search engine. The incentive to click is removed, traffic plummets, and the publisher’s ability to build a loyal audience is severely undermined. It’s a fundamental shift in the value exchange that once defined search, a topic we explored in our recent guide to understanding modern SEO challenges.
Tactic 2: Unfair Aggregation, According to the People CEO
The second tactic, as outlined by the People CEO, involves Google’s aggressive content aggregation through platforms like Google News and Google Discover. These services pull headlines, images, and short summaries from countless news sources to create a personalized, endless feed for users.
Chen’s issue is not with aggregation itself, but with the lack of fair compensation. “Google builds a highly engaging, monetizable product on the back of our collective work,” he stated. “The revenue they generate from keeping users within their news ecosystem is astronomical, yet the value passed back to the publishers is a pittance.” He pointed to programs like the Google News Showcase as “a PR stunt” that provides negligible revenue compared to the value Google extracts.
This sentiment is echoed by many in the industry. Publishers invest millions in sending reporters into the field, cultivating sources, and producing unique content. In Chen’s view, Google’s model treats this high-value content as a simple commodity, scraping just enough to be useful while devaluing the original source. This is a core argument made by many press advocacy groups, including the News Media Alliance, which has long called for fairer negotiations.
Tactic 3: Self-Preferencing and Siphoning Video Traffic
Chen’s final point targets Google’s algorithmic bias towards its own properties, specifically YouTube. “If you search for almost any ‘how-to’ query, Google will push a carousel of YouTube videos to the top of the results, often above high-quality, in-depth articles from independent publishers,” he argued.
This practice of “self-preferencing” forces publishers into a difficult position. To stay competitive, they must now invest heavily in video production and build a presence on YouTube. The problem, as the People CEO noted, is that this moves them onto a platform where Google again controls the rules and, more importantly, the majority of the ad revenue.
“They are not-so-subtly steering traffic away from the open web and into their own walled garden,” Chen said. “We are forced to compete for pennies on their platform, using their tools, subject to their arbitrary rule changes. It’s a rigged game where the house always wins because the house owns the table, the cards, and the dealer.”
The Path Forward: A Call for a Fairer Digital Ecosystem
In his closing remarks, Alex Chen didn’t just voice complaints; he issued a call to action for the entire digital publishing industry. The core issue, he summarized, is a massive power imbalance. Google, as the gatekeeper to the internet for billions, has been able to unilaterally dictate the terms of its relationship with content creators.
The solution, according to the People CEO, requires a multi-pronged approach. He called for stronger collective bargaining from publishers to negotiate directly with Google for fair licensing fees. Furthermore, he urged lawmakers to scrutinize Google’s practices through the lens of antitrust regulations, particularly concerning self-preferencing and data dominance.
Chen’s speech serves as a stark warning. Without a fundamental rebalancing of the digital ecosystem, the future of independent, high-quality content on the web is at risk. “Information is not free,” he concluded. “And it’s time the platforms profiting from it most start paying their fair share.”
“`
