The European Commission has launched an antitrust investigation into how Google uses online content for its AI services.
The European regulator has opened a formal antitrust investigation to examine whether Google uses web and YouTube content without appropriate compensation and without the possibility for creators to refuse this use. According to the regulator, the company may impose conditions that restrict publishers and creators. This could disadvantage developers of competing AI models.
“We are investigating whether Google imposes unfair conditions on publishers and creators and disadvantages developers of competing AI models, in violation of EU competition rules,” said Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition
Website content
The Commission is focusing, among other things, on the use of web content in Google services such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. These functions generate AI summaries above search results or answer questions in a conversational style. The question is to what extent these summaries are based on publishers’ content without appropriate compensation.
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Additionally, the Commission is investigating whether publishers can exclude their content without risking reduced visibility in Google Search. Many publishers depend on search traffic, making refusal an unviable option according to the Commission.
YouTube material
The use of YouTube content is also under scrutiny. Creators must give Google permission to use their videos for various purposes, including training AI models. They receive no compensation for this and cannot upload their videos without giving that permission. At the same time, YouTube’s terms prohibit other AI developers from using the same material for training.
EU competition rules
If the suspicions are correct, these practices may violate European rules on abuse of power. The Commission states that it will treat the investigation as a priority. The opening of the investigation does not prejudge its outcome. The result of the investigation could have implications for how the company incorporates AI functionality into products and how content creators are involved in that process.