WHAT JUST HAPPENED? The UK's competition regulator has ordered Google to give publishers more control over whether their content is used as part of AI Overviews in search results. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the move would "put publishers, like news organizations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google."
The CMA says Google must introduce tools that let publishers opt out of having their content used to power AI features in Search, including AI Overviews.
The watchdog called it a "world-first" requirement and said it follows Google's designation as having strategic market status in general search services, which gives the CMA the power to impose targeted conduct rules.
The change means publishers will be able to stop their material from appearing in AI search responses without disappearing from Google's normal search results. Google will also have to let publishers opt out of their content being used for the fine-tuning of AI models, while ensuring publishers' material is attributed through clear links.
The CMA says the rules should put publishers in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google. The agency will monitor compliance and says Google has nine months to implement the changes, though some controls should arrive sooner. Google must also publish compliance reports every six months during the first year.
