Legal
Action follows Chocolate Factory's changes to AI search results
The UK’s competition regulator has imposed new rules for Google search, in a bid to help publishers prevent their work from appearing in AI Overview results as well as to get links to their work instated in AI results. The Competition and Markets Authority imposed a new conduct requirement for Google search, which it promises will provide effective tools to stop publishers' content being used to power AI features in search, such as AI Overviews. The requirements will put publishers, including news organizations badly hit by Google AI summaries, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google, the CMA said. The regulator also requires Google to properly attribute publisher content, using clear links in AI‑generated search results.
Google is also set to allow publishers to opt out of their content being used to fine-tune AI models.
In May, Google said it would embed its AI in search, offering users an AI summary of results that does not directly link to website sources. The CMA said it was monitoring how Google is implementing these changes and assessing their impact on businesses. The regulator said it would bring forward work on further measures to ensure a fair exchange of value between Google and publishers.Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said the move was a world‑first requirement on Google’s search services in the UK and would support fair treatment and choice for businesses and consumers.
