Sex Toy Company Lovehoney Takes on Google

Sex toy brands have always been limited in how they can advertise.

UK-based sexual wellness company Lovehoney has lodged a complaint with the European Commission, asserting that Google's SafeSearch feature unfairly suppresses links to its legally sold, age-unrestricted products, such as those on Womanizer.com and We-Vibe.

The company contends that while its products are filtered out, similar items from mainstream retailers like Rossmann and Carrefour remain visible, potentially breaching the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to ensure fair and open digital markets.

Lovehoney submitted its complaint on March 7 and subsequently met with the Commission's DMA unit. The European Commission has acknowledged receipt of the complaint and is reviewing it as "market information," noting that the DMA does not include a formal complaint mechanism.

“It is our [goal to] promote sexual happiness and empowerment because we know that it is imperative for people’s health, wellbeing and happiness,” added company spokesperson Verena Singmann.

This situation underscores the challenges in balancing content moderation with fair market practices, especially for products related to sexual wellness. It also highlights the broader implications of how digital platforms' content policies can impact businesses and consumer access to information.