Overview
- The European Commission is investigating whether Google used publishers’ material to power AI Overviews and AI Mode without compensation or a meaningful opt‑out.
- Regulators are examining claims that Google imposed unfair terms on editors and creators or granted itself privileged access to content, disadvantaging rival AI developers.
- The probe covers possible use of YouTube uploads to train Google’s models without pay or refusal rights, while YouTube policies restrict rivals from training on the same content.
- Google criticized the action as a risk to innovation and said it will continue working with news and creative industries as they transition to AI.
- Officials highlight potential harm to referral traffic and revenue for media if AI-generated answers replace visits to original sites, with sanctions possible if violations are found.