EU antitrust regulators seek publisher feedback on Google's AI search opt-out

EU regulators seek publisher views on Google's AI search opt-out

European Union antitrust regulators are asking publishers for their feedback on Google's proposal to let them opt out of AI-powered search features without affecting their rankings in regular search results, according to a questionnaire seen by Reuters. Publishers have until August 28 to respond to the questionnaire, which was sent out in July.

The feedback could influence the outcome of an ongoing EU investigation into Google's AI search practices, which might result in another hefty fine for the company if the proposal fails to address competition concerns and publishers' worries about what they see as unfair use of their content, as reported by The Star and CNBC TV18, which both cited the Reuters questionnaire.

Google announced its AI opt-out option for publishers in June, the same day the UK antitrust watchdog ordered it to allow publishers the option to stop their content from being used to power its AI features. The S. tech giant, which plans to roll out the opt-out globally, declined to comment and referred to its June 3 blog post on the topic.

The questionnaire

The EU questionnaire asked publishers whether they plan to use the opt-out and what factors would influence their decision. It also sought their views on changes to Google's search box announced in May, which included bringing AI Overviews and AI Mode together under one AI Search experience.

Publishers have raised concerns that AI-generated answers could reduce the number of people visiting their websites, as reported by Times Now. If users get information directly from Google's search results, they might have less reason to click through to news and other publisher websites. Google's AI Overviews, which are AI-generated summaries that appear above traditional hyperlinks, have triggered EU antitrust complaints from publishers concerned about falling traffic and declining revenues.

Google has accumulated more than €10 billion in EU antitrust fines over various competition-related cases spanning nearly two decades, as noted by The Star and Times Now, citing the Reuters report.

The European Commission, which is the EU's antitrust authority, is overseeing the investigation. The EU questionnaire also sought views on recent changes to Google Search, according to Times Now.

This is not the first time Google has faced EU scrutiny over its practices. The company has been fined multiple times over the years for various antitrust violations, and this latest inquiry focuses on how its AI features may affect publishers' ability to monetize their content.

The outcome of the questionnaire could shape the direction of the EU's investigation and determine whether Google's proposed opt-out is sufficient to address regulatory and publisher concerns.