Key Points:
- European publishers filed a formal antitrust complaint against Google.
- The dispute focuses on “AI Overviews” that summarize news articles.
- Publishers argue that Google uses their content without permission or payment.
- The complaint strengthens an ongoing EU investigation started in December.
Google faces fresh legal trouble in Europe after a major group of publishers filed an antitrust complaint on Tuesday. The European Publishers Council (EPC) is targeting the tech giant’s “AI Overviews,” the feature that uses artificial intelligence to summarize information at the top of search results. This move adds significant pressure to an investigation that the European Union already started last December.
The core of the issue is money and traffic. Publishers are angry because Google’s AI tools scrape their articles to create summaries. When a user sees the answer directly on Google’s page, they often do not click the link to read the original story. This denies news websites the traffic and advertising revenue they need to survive.
Christian Van Thillo, the chairman of the EPC, issued a harsh statement regarding Google’s tactics. He described the company as a “dominant gatekeeper” that takes content without consent. According to Van Thillo, Google offers no fair compensation and gives publishers no realistic way to opt out or protect their work.
“AI Overviews and AI Mode fundamentally undermine the economic compact that has sustained the open web,” Van Thillo stated. He argues that the traditional deal—where search engines provide links in exchange for using data—is broken. Now, Google keeps the user on its own platform while using the hard work of journalists for free.
The complaint echoes concerns already raised by EU regulators. When the European Commission kicked off its probe in December, officials warned that Google might be abusing its power. Because Google controls the vast majority of online search traffic, publishers feel forced to accept unfair trading conditions.
This conflict highlights a growing global battle. Rivals and content creators worry that Big Tech companies are using their dominance in AI to shut out competition. If Google continues to serve answers without sending readers to the source, the EPC fears it could financially ruin the news industry.
