Google’s AI Overviews feature is now at the center of growing legal challenges in both the UK and European Union, as publishers and advocacy groups claim the tech giant is misusing their content. At the heart of the dispute is the accusation that Google’s AI-generated summaries rely heavily on news content for grounding responses, yet offer no way for publishers to opt out without disappearing from search results altogether.
In the UK, advocacy group Movement For An Open Web (MOW), along with Foxglove Legal and the Alliance, has filed a complaint with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The complaint argues that Google’s current practices are already causing harm to UK news publishers and calls for urgent interim measures to prevent further damage.
“Publishers urgently need the ability to opt out of Google’s AI summaries without being excluded from search results,” MOW stated. They highlight that other regulators, such as the US Department of Justice and South Africa’s Competition Commission, have already proposed similar protective measures.
In parallel, a separate antitrust complaint has been submitted in Brussels, aiming to address the same issue at the EU level. According to Reuters, the complaint accuses Google’s core search operations of misusing publisher content and causing measurable losses in traffic, visibility, and revenue for media outlets.
Criticism from publishers and the SEO community continues to mount, with many claiming that AI Overviews are reducing clicks and engagement, despite Google’s assurances that traffic is increasing. With both UK and EU regulatory bodies now involved, Google may soon face formal investigations—or be forced to revise its long-standing strategy of prioritizing AI answers over traditional links.
