No liability exemption for Google in Italian YouTube spat, EU court says

The EU’s top court ruled that Google is not automatically shielded from liability for YouTube videos uploaded by commercial partners, narrowing the platform-liability protections Google had argued for under EU telecom rules. The decision stems from an Italian regulator’s €750,000 fine over gambling ads on YouTube and could increase legal exposure for major social media platforms that actively review or manage partner content. The court said liability exemptions may apply only when a platform acts strictly as a passive, technical intermediary without knowledge or control over content. Because Google may inspect channel themes, top videos, or metadata when forming commercial partnerships, the court said that activity could fall outside the exemption. The ruling is a legal setback for Google and may have broader implications for content moderation, advertising compliance, and regulatory risk across online platforms in Europe.