Independent publishers in Europe have filed an antitrust complaint against Google, targeting its new feature called AI Overviews. They claim this feature is harming their businesses by diverting traffic and reducing visibility of their content in Google search results.
This complaint has been submitted to the European Commission (EC), the executive arm of the EU responsible for enforcing competition laws.
What Are Google’s AI Overviews?
AI Overviews is a feature that uses generative AI to summarize answers directly at the top of Google Search results. Instead of just showing blue links, Google’s AI may now answer user questions in full sentences or paragraphs — pulling from multiple sources.
Example:
Instead of showing a list of links for “How to make lasagna”, AI Overviews may generate a full recipe right in the search result, meaning users don’t have to click through to publisher websites.
Why Are Publishers Complaining?
Independent publishers argue that:
Traffic Loss: With AI giving complete answers, users don’t need to click on the publishers’ links, which means less website traffic. Revenue Impact: Less traffic results in fewer ad views, hurting their advertising revenue, which is a major source of income for many online publications. Content Usage Without Permission: Publishers claim that their original content is being used to train and feed AI responses without proper compensation or credit. Unfair Competition: They argue that Google is prioritizing its own AI product over independent news sites and content creators, potentially violating EU competition law.
What Does the Antitrust Complaint Seek?
The complaint asks the European Commission to:
Investigate Google for possible antitrust violations. Take action to ensure fair competition. Possibly restrict or regulate how AI Overviews are implemented in Europe.
The complaint follows other antitrust scrutiny Google has faced in Europe, including:
Fines for promoting its own services in search. Investigations into its advertising practices and app store rules.
Why Is This a Big Deal?
This complaint could:
Affect how AI features are rolled out across Europe. Set new rules for how tech companies like Google use generative AI in search. Give smaller publishers more protection or compensation for their content.
Google’s Response (So Far)
As of now, Google has defended AI Overviews by saying:
It’s designed to enhance the search experience, not replace sources. AI Overviews often link to original websites, which may actually help publishers. They are open to dialogue with regulators and publishers.