Google is clearly showing the imagery for political purposes: this is how bad things could get if you let the Copyright Directive go through. It knows the Directive faces its next vote on January 18th at the European Council, and it wants politicians to think twice before greenlighting the Directive without changes. It's consistent with the company's past messaging, though, and it's not completely outlandish when publishers have long complained about Google's use of text and image snippets.

It could be a while before you see these stripped-back results, if at all. Provided the legislation passes the Council, it would still face a definitive vote in March and would take effect in 2021. There's also a chance the language has been softened in behind-the-scenes negotiations, or that Google might continue business as usual with few if any repercussions. If Google suddenly looks like a ghost town in a couple of years, though, you can be sure the company will be the first to say "I told you so."