Google is reportedly facing an antitrust complaint in the European Union (EU) from a coalition of independent publishers over its AI Overviews feature.
The Independent Publishers Alliance has filed the complaint with the European Commission (EC), alleging that Google is abusing its market power in the online search domain.
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The group seeks interim measures to halt what they argue are significant damages to their traffic, readership, and revenue, according to a document accessed by Reuters.
AI Overviews summarise web content and display it above traditional search results, offering concise information through generative AI with links for deeper exploration.
Since May 2025, these summaries have included advertisements and are available in more than 120 countries across 11 languages.
Google’s move to incorporate AI into its search engine has sparked concerns among publishers about the unauthorised use of their material.
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By GlobalDataThe complaint argues that Google’s placement of AI Overviews at the top of search results pages disproportionately favours its own summaries over original content from publishers. It further claims that opting out of Google’s AI material usage means losing visibility in the general search results, effectively locking publishers into participation.
Google has been countering by stating that its AI features open new avenues for user inquiry and discovery, asserting that billions of clicks are directed to websites each day. According to Google, changes in site traffic can be attributed to factors such as seasonal variations and evolving user interests.
The complaint is backed by The Movement for an Open Web and Foxglove Legal Community Interest Company. Rosa Curling, co-executive director of Foxglove, emphasised the existential threat posed to independent journalism by Google’s AI Overviews and called for regulatory intervention.
This issue echoes similar legal challenges in the US, where an edtech firm accused Google’s AI feature of undermining demand for original content.
Meanwhile, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed designating Google with ‘strategic market status’ in general search and advertising. This designation could enable targeted regulatory actions concerning Google’s use of AI in its search services as part of wider efforts to address market dominance.
