Google may fine NTV!

As is well known, manipulation is prohibited in every sector, and those who hold regulatory authority impose penalties on individuals or organizations engaged in such activities. In relation to the internet, Google—one of the authorities with the power to impose sanctions—may issue a severe penalty to NTV in Turkey on the grounds that it engaged in manipulation within its news content.

Google Had Imposed Heavy Penalties in 2014

Content manipulation is one of the primary issues Google closely monitors online, and this is not an unfamiliar topic in our country. Two years earlier, in 2014, Google imposed significant penalties on numerous companies and websites in Turkey for allegedly manipulating their online news content. It also warned that if similar incidents were to recur, the penalties would be much more severe.

Is NTV Manipulating Its News Content?

A situation recently noticed by a writer on Ekşi Sözlük—and subsequently recognized by many after discussions within the platform—could place NTV in serious trouble. In the writer’s statement, it was claimed that in Google search results related to national athlete Mete Gazoz, who competed in the Rio Olympic Games, NTV’s news content appeared as though it included a video, while in fact no video was present within the content.

Following this, many users reported observing similar cases and alleged that NTV had engaged in manipulation within its news articles. Although there has not yet been an official statement or sanction from Google regarding the matter, it is being discussed that NTV could face a very serious penalty in the near future. (habersefi)