Google is under fresh antitrust scrutiny in Europe following a formal complaint filed with the European Commission by a coalition of independent publishers who claim Google’s AI-generated summaries that appear above traditional search results deprive them of traffic, readers, and revenue.
The complaint, dated June 30, was submitted by the Independent Publishers Alliance, a nonprofit group representing unnamed digital publishers. It accuses Google of leveraging its dominance in online search to prioritise its own AI-generated content, often derived from publisher material, at the top of search results, without offering publishers the ability to opt out without disappearing from Google’s search listings entirely.
“Google’s core search engine service is misusing web content for its AI Overviews, causing ongoing and serious harm to news publishers in the form of traffic, readership, and revenue loss,” the group said in its submission.
The complainants have also requested interim regulatory measures to prevent what they describe as “irreparable harm” to independent journalism, citing concerns about the future viability of content-based business models.
Foxglove Legal, a UK-based nonprofit and co-signatory of the complaint, says publishers are in an increasingly perilous position. “Independent news faces an existential threat: Google’s AI Overviews,
“This complaint urges regulators, including the European Commission, to let independent journalism opt out of AI training and summarisation without penalty.” said Rosa Curling, Foxglove’s co-executive director.
Google’s AI Drive
The move follows Google’s push to embed generative AI deeper into its search products, a strategy it began rolling out globally earlier this year with Ads added to AI Overviews in May.
“Sites can gain or lose traffic for many reasons seasonal demand, user interests, algorithmic changes,” a Google spokesperson said in response to the complaint.
“New AI experiences in Search help users ask more questions and explore more topics.” He added.
The complaint also mirrors a U.S. lawsuit by an educational tech company, which alleges that Google’s AI Overviews erode demand for original content and damage competition in online publishing.
