UK Puts Brakes on Google’s AI Use of News Content

LONDON: Britain’s competition regulator delivered a landmark ruling Wednesday requiring Google to grant news publishers control over how their content fuels artificial intelligence systems. The Competition and Markets Authority announced Google must allow websites to opt out of having their material scraped for AI Overviews without harming their search rankings.

The decision targets Google’s dominance in UK online search, where the company commands over ninety percent of queries. Publishers have reported sharp traffic declines since AI Overviews began displaying summaries atop search results, with global referrals to news sites dropping thirty-three percent according to Chartbeat data tracking more than twenty-five hundred outlets.

Under the proposed framework, publishers could block their content from powering AI-generated summaries or training standalone models like Gemini. Google must also properly attribute sources in AI results and increase transparency about how content gets used. The authority designated Google with strategic market status in October following a nine-month investigation.

CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell emphasized the measures would provide publishers, particularly news organizations, a fairer arrangement over content usage. The regulator also proposed requiring choice screens on Android devices and Chrome browser to ease switching default search engines, plus rules ensuring Google ranks results fairly without favoring business partners.

Google responded cautiously, stating it was exploring opt-out updates but warning that new controls must avoid creating a fragmented user experience. The company maintains AI Overviews help people discover content more efficiently. The consultation period runs through February twenty-fifth, with final decisions expected by March eighteenth when ministers determine the government’s approach.