UK Competition and Markets Authority orders Google to let publishers opt out of AI Search features

Google must let publishers opt out of AI Search features, rules UK

Online publishers are getting more control over whether their websites appear in Google's AI Search features, thanks to a UK regulatory ruling. The new conduct rule imposed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) requires Google to let website owners keep their content out of features like AI Overviews, and prevent it from being used for the "fine-tuning" of Google's AI models. "In a world first, publishers will now have effective tools to prevent their content being used to power AI features in search, such as AI Overviews," the CMA announced. "This will put publishers, like news organizations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google." Google will also have to ensure that publisher content is "properly attributed, using clear links," in AI‑generated search results. According to the CMA, these requirements will "secure a fairer deal for publishers and consumers and improve Google's search services in the UK." Google has already started to roll features out to a "subset of website owners in the UK" in response to the ruling, and plans to make them available globally after testing. The first feature is a new toggle in the Search Console that allows publishers to manage how their content is used in AI Search tools, including AI Overviews, AI Mode, or AI Overviews in Discover. Websites that opt out entirely won't receive traffic or impressions from generative AI features, and Google says this control won't be used as a ranking signal for search results outside of AI Search features. New Search Console insights are also rolling out for website owners that contain metrics and information about which webpages are appearing in AI responses, and which countries they're appearing in. "The legally enforceable Conduct Requirements for Google Search published today are a significant step towards leveling the playing field and building a fair, transparent digital economy where premium content is properly respected and fairly compensated," News Media Association CEO Theo Bamber said in a statement responding to the ruling. "Their success now relies on efficient implementation, robust enforcement and the ability to adapt and strengthen the rules if they are not working properly, in a fast-moving technological environment." Google had reportedly previously rejected the idea of giving publishers more control over how website data would be used in AI Search features, because it's "evolving into a space for monetization."

UK regulator enforces new competition requirements on Google search

Britain's competition regulator said on Wednesday it has imposed new conduct requirements on Google's search services, including allowing publishers to opt out of training the U.S. tech giant's AI models, as the watchdog ramps up its oversight. The Competition and Markets Authority has flagged concerns about Google's dominance in search services. Google accounts for more than 90% of UK queries, and the regulator had been consulting on the matter to ensure effective competition. The CMA on Wednesday said the requirements imposed on Google under the digital markets competition regime gave "publishers more control and stronger bargaining power over the use of their content," while securing a fair deal. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours. The regulator said that the company will now also be required to make sure content from publishers, including news organisations, is properly attributed in AI-generated search results, using clear links. Google's search services have fallen into regulatory scrutiny across the world, including in the United States and European Union, and the company in March said it was developing new search controls to address British competition concerns. "Google has recently announced changes to its search business and the requirements we've introduced today are designed to respond to what Google is doing now and in the future," CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said in a statement.

UK publishers allowed to opt out of Google AI search results

Online publishers can choose not to appear in the AI Overviews of Google search results n the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced. The competition regulator said this would "put publishers, like news organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google". Many websites have complained that they have seen a large drop in traffic since Google started placing AI summaries at the top of its search results page. The CMA also said Google must properly attribute publishers' content which appears in its AI search results, with clear links to their sites. "It is crucial that content publishers, including news organisations, have appropriate bargaining power over how their content is used," said CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell. She said this was a "world-first requirement," adding it would result in "fair treatment, greater transparency and meaningful choice for businesses and consumers". Google controls more than 90% of the online search market in the UK according to the CMA, and for almost 30 years websites and publishers have relied heavily on its search results to drive users to their businesses. However, many have said they've seen a drop in traffic since Google moved links to other sites down the search results page, with AI overviews displayed at the top instead. Some people have also switched from using traditional search engines to other AI chatbots, which produce answers to questions based on information they have scraped from existing websites. If a publisher opts out of appearing in Google's AI search results, the CMA says this gives them leverage to negotiate their own deals to be paid for the content the AI uses in its results. Google has nine months to bring all the changes in, but the CMA says it wants to see "important parts" of the requirements implemented earlier. It has extra powers over Google and other large tech companies, as they are designated as having an influential position in the digital market. The CMA says it will be monitoring developments in Google search and has to power to act further if need be. In May, Google announced more AI integration into its search box, which the CMA says it is monitoring - "including assessing the implications for businesses". Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.

UK regulator imposes new rules on Google search, including an AI-training opt-out

The CMA's first conduct requirements under Google's 'strategic market status' let publishers refuse to train its AI models. Britain's competition regulator has stopped consulting and started ordering. On Wednesday the Competition and Markets Authority imposed new conduct requirements on Google's search services, the first concrete obligations to follow from its decision to designate the company as holding strategic market status. Among them is a provision with sharp implications for the AI era: publishers will be able to opt out of having their content train Google's AI models. Google's search results increasingly summarise the web rather than send users to it, and those summaries are built on content the company crawls for ranking. Publishers have argued they face a trap: refuse the crawl and vanish from search, allow it and feed the AI systems that reduce their traffic. The CMA's rule is meant to break that bind by separating the two, letting a site appear in search without consenting to AI training. The rest of the package is structural. The CMA's requirements mandate fair ranking, transparency, proper content attribution, and default choice screens on Android and Chrome so users can pick rival search services rather than accept Google's by default. Choice screens are familiar from a decade of EU antitrust enforcement; their inclusion here signals the CMA intends to use the practical levers that have moved the needle elsewhere. The legal architecture is what makes this different from a one-off case. Under the UK's Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers regime, the CMA can designate a firm with strategic market status in a digital activity and then impose tailored, ongoing conduct requirements, rather than litigating each abuse separately. The CMA confirmed Google's SMS designation in search in October 2025, opened a consultation on conduct requirements in January 2026, and has now moved to enforcement. It is a different model from the American one. Where US antitrust against Google runs through the courts, with remedies argued case by case over years, the UK regime is regulatory and forward-looking: a designated firm operates under a standing set of obligations a regulator can adjust. The trade-off is familiar. The regulatory approach is faster and more flexible; it also concentrates a great deal of discretion in the regulator, and Brussels has tended to write the rule before settling what enforcement actually looks like in practice. For Google, the requirements arrive as its search business is already under pressure from a direction antitrust was not designed for. AI assistants and chat interfaces are emerging as alternatives to the ten blue links, and the CMA's rules implicitly acknowledge that the competitive threat and the regulatory question now both run through AI. The opt-out provision in particular is less about classic search rivalry than about who controls the training data underneath the next interface. Google has consistently argued that its services benefit users and that heavy-handed rules risk degrading them, a line it will presumably repeat here. The company has room to challenge specifics, and the detail of compliance, how the opt-out works technically, how choice screens are designed, tends to be where these regimes are won and lost. What is settled is the direction. The UK has built a standing regulatory relationship with Google's search business and has now used it for the first time. The immediate question is whether an AI-training opt-out can be made to work without pushing publishers out of search by other means. The CMA has written the rule. Enforcement is the part still being drafted.

Google must give UK publishers choice to block AI search summaries, says competition watchdog - business live

Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. The UK's competition watchdog has announced that web publishers and news organisations will now be able to opt out of AI overviews of Google search results. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said its new rules will put "publishers, like news organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google". The intervention comes after complaints by media organisations that they have experienced a drop in click-through traffic to their websites - and therefore their revenue - since Google started posting AI summaries at the top of search results. CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said in a statement: With features like AI Overviews rapidly reshaping online search, it is crucial that content publishers, including news organisations, have appropriate bargaining power over how their content is used. At the same time, these measures will help tens of millions of UK search users better understand and trust the information presented to them. It's also important that any action we take in this space can move with the times. Google has recently announced changes to its search business and the requirements we've introduced today are designed to respond to what Google is doing now and in the future. We'll also continue to use the unique flexibility of the UK regime to monitor and address future concerns as they arise and we will be announcing further action in relation to Google's search business in the coming weeks. Under the new rules, Google will also now have to make sure that publisher content is "properly attributed", using clear links in AI search results. It will also have to allow publishers to opt out of allowing their content to be used for the "fine-tuning of AI models" which will provide "publishers with confidence that they will have control over the full range of AI use-cases of their content", the CMA said.

UK media groups given power to opt out of Google AI search summaries

Watchdog says 'publishers will now have effective tools to prevent content being used to power AI features in search' Publishers will be able to opt out of their content being used to train Google's AI models and power its search summaries, the UK competition watchdog has announced as it imposes new conduct requirements on search services. "Publishers will now have effective tools to prevent their content being used to power AI features in search, such as AI Overviews," the Competition and Markets Authority said. "This will put publishers, like news organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google. "To boost consumer trust, Google is also now required to make sure that publisher content is properly attributed, using clear links, in AI‑generated search results." The CMA said the requirement was imposed after its decision to designate Google with strategic market status in general search services. It first proposed the idea of an AI search summary opt-out in January. "The designation allows the CMA to introduce targeted rules, known as 'conduct requirements', for Google's search activities if proportionate for the purposes of ensuring fair dealing, open choices or trust and transparency. "Google will now also have to allow publishers to opt out of allowing their content to be used for the 'fine-tuning' of AI models. This provides publishers with confidence that they will have control over the full range of AI use-cases of their content." Sarah Cardell, the CMA chief executive, said: "Google has recently announced changes to its search business and the requirements we've introduced today are designed to respond to what Google is doing now and in the future." Google's compliance would be actively monitored and "we will be announcing further action in relation to Google's search business in the coming weeks", Cardell added.

UK regulator orders Google to give publishers AI search opt-out

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has imposed binding rules on Google's search services in a move it calls a world first. The UK's competition regulator has formally required Google to let publishers opt out of having their content used to power AI features in search, including its AI Overviews product. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed the conduct requirement today (3 June) under the UK's digital markets competition regime, making it the first binding ruling of its kind to be issued against a major tech platform in the UK. Following consultation feedback, publishers will also be able to opt out of their content being used for the fine-tuning of Google's AI models, giving them control over the full range of AI use cases of their content. Google will also be required to attribute publisher content clearly, using links, in AI-generated search results. The CMA said the requirement would put publishers, including news organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google. The ruling follows Google's designation in October 2025 as having strategic market status in UK search, a formal finding of substantial and entrenched market power that gave the CMA the power to impose targeted rules on the company. The CMA said it was also responding to Google's announcement in May that it planned significant changes to its search platform to further embed AI technologies, which the regulator said could fundamentally change how search results are presented to UK users. Today's requirement will apply to those changes. "Today, we have introduced a world-first requirement on Google's search services in the UK, enabling fair treatment, greater transparency and meaningful choice for businesses and consumers," said Sarah Cardell, CEO of the CMA. "With features like AI Overviews rapidly reshaping online search, it is crucial that content publishers, including news organisations, have appropriate bargaining power over how their content is used." A spokesperson for Google pointed siliconrepublic.com to its official blog post reaction to the announcement, saying it would begin testing a new toggle in Search Console allowing website owners to decide whether their content appears in AI Overviews, AI Mode and related features. Sites that opt out will not receive traffic or impressions from those features, Google said, and the setting will not affect rankings in standard search results. The company also said it would roll out new performance insights in Search Console showing publishers which of their pages appear in AI responses and in which countries. Google said it would begin the rollout to a subset of website owners in the UK first, "allowing for thorough testing before rolling them out to website owners globally". The blog post, written by Mrinalini Loew, general manager of Google Search Ecosystem, did not directly address the CMA's ruling but framed the changes as part of Google's own initiative to give website owners more control as user behaviour shifts toward AI-powered search. Google said AI Overviews now has over 2.5bn monthly active users and AI Mode has surpassed one billion. Google has nine months to implement all required changes under the CMA's conduct requirement, though the regulator said it expects the key publisher controls to be available well before that deadline. Google must submit compliance reports every six months in the first year, backed by data and metrics. Cardell confirmed that further action in relation to Google's search business would be announced in the coming weeks. The CMA said it has now launched four strategic market status investigations into major tech companies since the digital markets regime came into force last year, covering Google, Apple and Microsoft. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

UK regulator enforces new competition requirements on Google search

The Competition and Markets Authority ⁠has ⁠flagged concerns about Google's dominance in search services. Google accounts for more than 90% of UK queries, and the regulator had been consulting on the matter to ensure effective competition. Britain's competition regulator said on Wednesday it has imposed new conduct requirements on Google's search services, including allowing publishers to opt out of training the U.S. tech giant's AI models, as the watchdog ramps up its oversight. The Competition and Markets Authority ⁠has ⁠flagged concerns about Google's dominance in search services. Google accounts for more than 90% of UK queries, and the regulator had been consulting on the matter to ensure effective competition. The CMA on Wednesday said the requirements imposed on Google under the digital markets competition regime ⁠gave "publishers more control and stronger bargaining power over the use of their content," while securing a fair ⁠deal. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours. The regulator said that the company will now also be required to make sure content from publishers, including news organisations, is properly attributed in AI‑generated search results, using clear links. Google's search services have fallen into regulatory scrutiny across the world, including in the United States and European Union, and the company in March said it ⁠was developing new search controls to address British competition concerns. "Google has recently announced changes to its search business and the requirements we've introduced today are designed to respond to what Google is doing now and in the future," CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said in a statement.

UK regulator requires Google to give publishers AI opt-out By Investing.com

Investing.com -- The Competition and Markets Authority imposed a conduct requirement on Google's search services on Wednesday, giving publishers the ability to prevent their content from being used in AI-powered search features. The requirement follows the CMA's designation of Google with strategic market status in general search services under the UK's digital markets competition regime. Publishers can now opt out of having their content used for AI features such as AI Overviews and for fine-tuning AI models. Google must ensure that publisher content receives proper attribution with clear links in AI-generated search results. The measures apply to changes Google announced in May to further embed AI technologies in its search platform. Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said the requirement enables fair treatment, greater transparency and meaningful choice for businesses and consumers. She added that content publishers, including news organizations, need appropriate bargaining power over how their content is used. Google has nine months to implement all changes, though the CMA expects important parts of the controls to become available to publishers before that deadline. The company must submit and publish compliance reports every six months for the first year, explaining changes made and how it has complied. The CMA will monitor how Google implements these changes and assess the implications for businesses. The regulator said it will announce further action regarding Google's search business in the coming weeks if needed.

U.K. Regulator to Let Publishers Keep Content Out of Google Search's AI Tool -- Update

By Adria Calatayud and Edith Hancock U.K. antitrust regulators said they would allow publishers to opt out of feeding their content to power artificial-intelligence features in Google's online searches. The Competition and Markets Authority said Wednesday that the move aims to give publishers control over how their content is used by AI and put them in a stronger position to negotiate with Google. The tech giant has developed its own AI platform, Gemini, and rolled out AI features in its traditional search engine. Regulators have grown increasingly concerned with how Google powers its AI tools, which essentially aggregate information on the internet to answer users' queries in addition to Google Search's links to other websites. The European Commission started in December an antitrust investigation into whether Google imposes unfair terms on publishers or is hurting competition online by giving itself privileged access to third-party content for its AI features. It is also the next step in the U.K. watchdog's bid to enforce the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumer bill, which seeks to level the playing field for businesses online. Under the law, tech companies like Google are labeled as having strategic status due to their control over dominant platforms like search engines. Once designated, the CMA can impose so-called conduct requirements for them to follow. Mrinalini Loew, general manager of Google's Search Ecosystem, said in a blog post Wednesday that the company is listening to publishers and engaging with the CMA. It said it is starting to test a new tool that lets website owners manage how their content appears in AI search features, saying that sites that do choose to opt out of appearing in AI search results will not receive traffic from them, and how sites use the tool won't factor into how their content is ranked in reach outside of its AI services. "We are beginning to roll these features out to a subset of website owners in the UK, allowing for thorough testing before rolling them out to website owners globally," Loew said. The CMA said it is monitoring the changes Google implemented and their implications for businesses. The CMA deems Google's search service to have strategic market status, which allows the regulator to introduce targeted requirements on how it operates. "With features like AI Overviews rapidly reshaping online search, it is crucial that content publishers, including news organizations, have appropriate bargaining power over how their content is used," CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said. News Corp, owner of The Wall Street Journal, has a commercial agreement to supply content on Google platforms. Write to Adria Calatayud at [email protected] and to Edith Hancock at [email protected]

UK watchdog introduces new rules for Google's AI search results

(Alliance News) - Alphabet Inc's Google will face tighter controls on its use of artificial intelligence going forwards, the UK Competition & Markets Authority said on Wednesday. The watchdog is implementing new conduct requirements under its digital markets regime. Online publishers will be able to opt out of their content being used for Google search's AI function. "The requirement will secure a fairer deal for publishers and consumers and improve Google's search services in the UK," the CMA said. "This will put publishers, like news organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google," it added. Google's AI offering, known as Gemini, scrapes content from different websites to generate summaries in response to online search prompts. The CMA's new rules will require Google to ensure that content used in AI search results is properly attributed, and will also allow publishers to opt out of their content being used to fine-tune AI models. Google will have nine months to implement the changes, though the CMA said it "expects important parts of the controls to become available to publishers well before that deadline". Google must also publish compliance reports every six months for the first year, with reporting frequency to be reviewed thereafter. This follows the regulator's decision to designate Google with "strategic market status" in recognition of its dominant position among search engine operators. The designation is what enables the CMA to enforce new rules which it deems "proportionate for the purposes of ensuring fair dealing, open choices or trust and transparency". "In May, Google announced significant changes to its search platform to further embed AI technologies, which could fundamentally change how search results are presented to users in the UK. This conduct requirement will apply to those changes," the regulator noted. "The CMA is actively monitoring how Google is implementing these changes - including assessing the implications for businesses. If needed, the CMA will bring forward work on further measures to ensure a fair exchange of value between Google and publishers." CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell added: "The requirements we've introduced today are designed to respond to what Google is doing now and in the future. We'll also continue to use the unique flexibility of the UK regime to monitor and address future concerns as they arise and we will be announcing further action in relation to Google's search business in the coming weeks." The CMA has launched four strategic market investigations including one into Microsoft Corp's business software ecosystem. Alongside Google, it is investigating Apple Inc. Alphabet Class A shares rose 0.1% to USD362.15 during pre-market trading on Wednesday in New York. By Holly Munks, Alliance News reporter

U.K. Regulator to Let Publishers Keep Content Out of Google Search's AI Tool

U.K. antitrust regulators said they would allow publishers to opt out of feeding their content to power artificial-intelligence features in Google's online searches. The Competition and Markets Authority said Wednesday that the move aims to give publishers control over how their content is used by AI and put them in a stronger position to negotiate with Google. Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The tech giant has developed its own AI platform, Gemini, and recently rolled out AI features in its traditional search engine. The CMA said it is monitoring the changes Google implemented and their implications for businesses. The CMA deems Google's search service to have strategic market status, which allows the regulator to introduce targeted requirements on how it operates. "With features like AI Overviews rapidly reshaping online search, it is crucial that content publishers, including news organizations, have appropriate bargaining power over how their content is used," CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said.