# Competition Commission chief economist, James Hodge, has revealed that Google monopolises search in South Africa, using news content to boost engagement without compensating media outlets. Presenting the Media and Digital Platforms Market inquiry report, Hodge highlighted declining referral traffic, and bias favouring foreign media over community and vernacular outlets. Social media platforms, dominated by Meta, X, YouTube, and TikTok, offer limited monetisation options, affecting local news revenue and visibility:
Competition Commission finds Google dominates searches, undermines media revenue [SOUND]
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