EU antitrust regulators quiz publishers on Google’s AI search opt-out

EU antitrust regulators are currently soliciting input from publishers regarding Google's proposal to enable them to opt out of AI search without impacting their search result rankings, according to a questionnaire obtained by Reuters. This response from publishers could influence the outcome of an ongoing EU investigation, which might lead to another substantial fine for Google if the proposal fails to address competition issues and publishers' concerns about the unfair utilization of their content.

Google unveiled its AI opt-out for publishers in June, coinciding with the UK antitrust watchdog ordering the company to allow publishers the option to prevent their content from being used to power its AI features. The U.S. tech giant, planning to roll out the opt-out globally, did not respond to comments and instead referenced its June 3 blog post on the matter.

Its AI Overviews, AI-generated summaries appearing above traditional hyperlinks, have prompted EU antitrust complaints from publishers worried about reduced traffic and declining revenues.

The EU questionnaire, distributed in July with an August 28 deadline for responses, inquired about publishers' intention to utilize the opt-out and the factors influencing their decision. The document also solicited publishers' opinions on changes to Google's search box announced in May, which integrated AI Overviews and AI Mode into a single AI Search feature. Google has amassed more than 10 billion euros in EU antitrust fines for various violations over nearly two decades.