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German email service Tuta Mail has complained to European Union tech regulators about a significant decline in Google search results coinciding with the implementation of the bloc's new tech regulations.
According to Tuta Mail, the drop in search visibility occurred abruptly at the beginning of March 2024, the same day the DMA came into effect.
The company claims that Google ceased displaying its website for thousands of keywords, substantially limiting traffic to its platform, particularly for terms related to encrypted email services.
In its complaint to the DMA taskforce, Tuta Mail highlighted the adverse impact of this change, stating that users could no longer find their service through generic search queries related to encrypted email.
Instead, visibility was restricted to searches explicitly mentioning the Tuta brand.
Matthias Pfau, CEO of Tuta Mail, expressed bewilderment at the sudden alteration in search rankings coinciding with the DMA's enactment. Despite attempts to engage with Google on the matter, the company received no response.
"We do not understand why our ranking fell on the day the DMA became active. Obviously, Google changed something in its search algorithms, but we do not know what they changed or why," Pfau told Reuters in an interview.
"Google took away about 90% of our visibility online," Pfau said, emphasizing the dramatic impact on Tuta Mail's operations.
Google, however, refuted allegations of unfair preferential treatment, asserting that search ranking updates aim to provide the most relevant results and do not prioritize Google products.
"Search ranking updates absolutely do not aim to preference Google products or any other particular website," a Google spokesperson stated. "We appreciate the feedback and will look into how we can ensure Search continues to return the most helpful, relevant results."
The European Commission, responsible for monitoring compliance with DMA obligations, declined to provide specifics on ongoing proceedings but affirmed its commitment to ensuring fair competition in digital markets.
"The Commission monitors compliance of gatekeepers with obligations, including in the context of ongoing proceedings," a spokesperson said. "We cannot comment on specific concerns being raised with us."
Tuta Mail's complaint underscores the challenges and complexities surrounding the enforcement of these regulations in the digital sphere, with the company urging the DMA task force to include its data in the ongoing investigation into Google's compliance with the regulations.
