Google extends opt-out option for scraping

Google has extended certain commitments it made to the Federal Trade Commission in 2012 to avoid competition fines. These are commitments to AdWords API terms and content scraping.

The term for the voluntary commitments expires on December 27, but Google is keeping them in place because it says the changes provide “lasting flexibility for developers and websites.” This involves removing parts of the AdWords API Terms of Use.

As part of a settlement with the FTC in an antitrust investigation in 2012, Google promised to remove certain restrictions on the use of the API. At the time, those restrictions on the export of data prevented advertisers from simultaneously setting up campaigns on AdWords and platforms of Google’s competitors, which hampered competition.

In addition, Google maintains an opt-out option for content scraping. This concerns data that the Googlebot collects and that the company uses for Google Shopping, Flights, Hotels and Local. At the time, the FTC had indications that Google illegally copied data from Yelp, Tripadvisor and Amazon, among others. When the competitors complained about this, Google threatened to throw the websites out of its search index. With the settlement, Google avoided a competition case.