Google Faces EU Antitrust Complaint Over Google’s AI Overviews, Independent Publishers Raise Alarm
A group of independent online publishers has filed an official antitrust complaint against Google with the European Commission. They claim Google’s new AI Overviews feature is using their content without consent, causing them to lose web traffic, readers, and revenue.
What is Google’s AI Overviews?
AI Overviews is a feature in Google Search that shows users short, AI-generated summaries at the very top of the search results page. These summaries are often created by pulling information from publisher websites — but users may no longer click on the original sources since the answer is already summarized by Google.
Key Allegations from the Publishers:
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Google is prioritizing its own AI summaries above original publisher content in search results.
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These summaries are made using publisher material without proper permission.
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Publishers cannot opt out of having their content used for training Google’s AI or for generating summaries unless they completely opt out of being shown in Google Search, which would destroy their visibility.
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As a result, they are losing traffic, revenue, and influence putting the future of journalism at risk.
The complaint was submitted by The Independent Publishers Alliance, which advocates for small and independent news outlets. They were joined by Foxglove Legal, a UK nonprofit focused on tech fairness, and The Movement for an Open Web, a group pushing for transparency in the tech industry.
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They are calling for an interim measure to stop Google from continuing this practice before more damage is done.
How Did Google Respond?
Google says it still drives billions of clicks to websites daily and that these new AI experiences actually help people ask more complex questions, creating new opportunities for businesses and content discovery.
They also argue that traffic changes can happen for many reasons, including seasonal trends, user interest shifts, and regular algorithm updates.
Where Else Was the Complaint Filed?
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The complaint was filed with the European Commission.
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The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority also confirmed receipt of the complaint.
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The same groups have made a similar complaint in the UK, asking for immediate regulatory action.
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A U.S. edtech company has also sued Google, claiming the AI Overviews are hurting demand for original content and damaging the competitive landscape.
Rosa Curling, co-director at Foxglove Legal, warned of the growing danger:
“Independent journalism is under existential threat from Google’s AI Overviews,” she told Reuters. “That’s why we’re urging the European Commission and other global regulators to act and allow independent news publishers the right to opt out.”
