Independent Publishers Alliance in Europe Officially Files Complaint with EU Commission
"Abuse of Dominance in the Search Market"
Reuters Yonhap News
Google's artificial intelligence (AI) search summary feature, "AI Overview," has become embroiled in an antitrust controversy in Europe. The Independent Publishers Alliance, a coalition of European media outlets, has officially filed a complaint with the European Union (EU) Commission, alleging that the feature unlawfully utilizes publishers' content and causes them to lose both revenue and readership, Reuters reported on July 5 (local time).
"AI Overview" is a feature that provides users with AI-generated summaries at the top of search results pages when they search online. Google first unveiled this feature in May of last year, and it is now available in over 100 countries. Recently, Google has expanded its influence by including advertisements in this section as well.
The Independent Publishers Alliance, which led the complaint, stated in a document submitted to the EU Commission on June 30 that "Google is unfairly exploiting publishers' content through AI Overview, and this constitutes an abuse of its dominance in the search market."
The alliance pointed out that AI Overview generates summaries based on publishers' articles and information, but the original content is pushed down in search rankings, resulting in serious harm to publishers, such as a decrease in visitor numbers and a decline in revenue.
In particular, publishers who rely on Google Search face a dilemma: even if they want to refuse the use of their material for AI model training or summary generation, doing so could mean losing the opportunity for exposure in search results altogether. Essentially, it is a structure where publishers must accept disadvantages if they do not consent.
The Movement for an Open Web, an organization involving digital advertising industry players and publishers, and Foxglove, a UK nonprofit advocating for fairness in technology, also participated in the complaint.
Rosa Curling, co-director of Foxglove, emphasized, "Independent news is now at a crossroads for survival, and at the center of that threat is Google's AI Overview. This is why we are urging regulators worldwide, including the EU Commission, to take measures so that independent journalism can be excluded from AI training."
These organizations have also requested similar lawsuits and interim measures from the UK competition authorities.
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