Turkish journalists accuse search engine giant Google of indirectly censoring independent media outlets through recent algorithm adjustments that have significantly reduced visibility for many Turkish news organizations, with some experiencing traffic losses of up to 80 percent, Gazete Duvar reported.
Google Turkey has remained silent as criticism mounts over changes that have reduced news outlets’ visibility on Google News and Google Discover platforms, prompting calls for transparency.
The issue was brought to light on social media by journalist Bahadır Özgür from the Gazete Duvar news website.
“Google’s algorithm changes have caused online media [outlets’] reader traffic to drop by 60-80 percent. This means a similar decrease in revenue. … Google doesn’t even care. Opposition media, in particular, is likely to face difficult times in 2025,” Özgür said on X.
Representatives of several media outlets stated that the decline in visitor numbers has deprived independent media outlets of significant revenue, pushing them into a condition of economic hardship.
Uğur Koç, web publishing coordinator of the Birgün daily, said about a month ago that the traffic from Google Discover and Google News had essentially plummeted and now independent media outlets are barely visible on both platforms.
“As the public’s right to access news is undermined, the existence of independent media outlets is also under threat. The algorithm change has caused traffic fluctuations globally, but in Turkey, independent media outlets have born the brunt of it,” he added.
Sibel Yükler, editor of the T24 news website, said the 80 percent drop in reader traffic signifies the “end of access to [independent] news” and leaves “thousands of journalists in a bottleneck, facing deep poverty,” while Orhan Can, editor-in-chief of halktv.com.tr, described Google’s actions as a “blow to the freedom of information.”
Journalist İsmail Küçükkaya described the situation as a “national security issue.”
“In many countries, especially in the EU, Google and similar tech companies are fined billions of dollars for this. In the US, [then-presidential candidate, now President-elect] Trump complained about companies like Google promoting content they favored. It creates problems for democracy,” Küçükkaya said.
Sevilay Çelenk, an MP from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and member of the Parliamentary Digital Media Commission has brought the issue to the parliamentary agenda.
Çelenk said in a parliamentary question she posed to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz that Google’s actions threaten the economic sustainability of independent media organizations.
The MP asked whether Uraloğlu and Yılmaz are aware of this situation and if they had a plan to meet with officials of the affected media organizations to listen to their problems and develop solutions.
Çelenk also inquired whether there had been any discussions with Google Turkey regarding the traffic loss and reduced visibility of independent media outlets and whether any information or statements had been provided by the company’s representatives on this matter.
According to a report by the virtual private network company Surfshark last year, Turkish government agencies have requested the removal of a total of 90,400 web pages and other content from Google in the last decade.
Turkey was the fourth country, after Russia, North Korea and India, that most frequently requested the removal of content from Google, submitting 18,900 requests for the removal of 90,400 web pages and other content in 10 years, which corresponds to an average of 5 pieces of online content per day.
Turkish authorities have in the last few years imposed restrictions on websites, social media accounts and posts covering news stories critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has led to accusations that freedom of expression has been curtailed.
The deterioration of internet freedoms in Turkey was also documented in a 2024 report published by the US-based Freedom House, which showed Turkey ranking the lowest-scoring country in Europe for online freedoms and again ranking among the “not free” countries concerning online freedoms.
Turkey had a score of 31 in a 100-point index, with scores based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free). The other two lowest-scoring countries in Europe are Hungary, with a score of 69 and Serbia with 70.