Google is under fresh scrutiny in Europe as the European Commission launches an antitrust investigation into how the company uses publishers’ online content and YouTube videos to train its artificial intelligence models.
The inquiry will assess whether Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode features rely on publishers’ content without allowing them to refuse participation without risking reduced visibility on Google Search. Regulators are concerned that publishers, heavily dependent on Google for traffic, may be forced into unfair terms.
The Commission is also examining Google’s use of YouTube videos and other creator content to train its generative AI models. Creators must grant Google permission to use their data when uploading to YouTube, but they are not compensated for AI training use and cannot opt out. Meanwhile, Google restricts rival AI developers from using YouTube content for model training, potentially giving the company an unfair competitive advantage.
The Commission said it is examining whether Google uses publishers’ content for its AI-generated summaries, known as AI Overviews, without offering adequate compensation or allowing publishers to opt out. The same concerns extend to YouTube videos uploaded by users.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said Google may be abusing its dominant position in search by imposing unfair conditions on publishers.
She noted that a strong information ecosystem depends on publishers having the financial resources to create quality journalism and that gatekeepers cannot be allowed to dictate market terms.
Google dismissed a related complaint filed by independent publishers in July, a complaint that triggered the EU’s latest action.
A Google spokesperson said the complaint could stifle innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever. The company insisted that Europeans should continue to benefit from advancements in AI and said it is committed to working with news and creative industries as they adapt to technological change.
Several groups, including the Independent Publishers Alliance, the Movement for an Open Web, and British non-profit Foxglove, criticized Google’s practices.
Lawyer Tim Cowen, who advises the groups, argued that Google has broken the long-standing bargain of the internet, where websites are indexed and shown to users based on relevance. He said Google’s prioritization of its AI Overviews and its use of website content to train its Gemini model give the company an unfair advantage.
AI Overviews appear above traditional search links and are available in more than 100 countries. Google began placing ads in these summaries in May.
Google’s spam policy is also being examined by the EU following publisher complaints. If found in breach of EU antitrust rules, the company could face a penalty of up to ten percent of its global annual revenue.
The probe comes just a week after the European Commission launched an investigation into Meta’s plan to block AI rivals from accessing WhatsApp messaging infrastructure, underscoring a broader regulatory push into AI competition practices, Reuters news report said.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
