Google Faces EU Showdown Over AI Search Summaries Threat

International Business News: Independent Publishers Unite Against Google AI in Europe

Alphabet-owned Google is now under fire in Europe, as a powerful group of independent publishers has lodged an antitrust complaint against its AI Overviews feature. These AI-generated summaries appear above traditional links in search results and have been rolled out in over 100 countries. The publishers argue that this innovation, rather than driving new traffic, is actively eroding their reach, readership, and revenue by prioritizing Google’s own AI content over their original material.

Google’s AI overviews on its search platform is facing legal issues over ‘stolen’ content
Image Credit: Google

According to this International Business News report, the complaint—dated June 30 and addressed to the European Commission—alleges that Google is exploiting its dominance in search to unfairly promote its AI Overviews, which are often generated from content sourced from publishers without consent or compensation. The publishers claim they have no way to prevent their material from being scraped or used for AI training without entirely disappearing from Google’s search listings, a situation they say is coercive and destructive.

Publishers Demand Urgent Intervention from EU and UK Authorities

The Independent Publishers Alliance, a nonprofit group representing small and mid-sized media outlets, spearheaded the complaint. They are joined by Foxglove Legal, a UK-based nonprofit advocating for fairness in the tech world, and the Movement for an Open Web, which represents digital advertisers and publishers. Together, the coalition is urging the European Commission to take immediate interim action to halt the continued rollout of AI Overviews, warning that irreparable harm is being done to independent journalism.

The complaint has already reached the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which confirmed it is reviewing the case. The group is calling for independent news organizations to be given the right to opt out of having their content used by AI systems without being penalized in search visibility.

Foxglove co-director Rosa Curling was direct in her statement to various media: “Independent news faces an existential threat. Google’s AI Overviews are siphoning away readers and revenue. This is not innovation—it’s extraction.”

Google Defends AI Overviews Amid Rising Global Backlash

Google responded to the accusations by emphasizing that its search engine still drives billions of clicks to websites every day. A spokesperson argued that the new AI features actually help users ask more nuanced questions, opening more doors for content creators and businesses to be discovered. However, the company also claimed that publisher traffic changes can result from many factors including seasonal trends, algorithm updates, and changing user interests.

Critics, however, say this explanation sidesteps the core issue: Google is monopolizing attention at the top of its search pages with AI summaries derived from third-party content. In the U.S., a similar lawsuit has been filed by an educational technology firm alleging that AI Overviews are cannibalizing organic content traffic, echoing the same fears of diminished competition and publisher viability.

Google’s AI Overviews may represent the company’s boldest push into artificial intelligence yet, but it has ignited a firestorm of resistance among those who say it sacrifices the open web in favor of algorithmic convenience. If regulators in both Europe and the UK heed these complaints, it could mark the start of sweeping changes in how AI is allowed to engage with and profit from independent content.

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