Google Faces EU Antitrust Complaint Over AI Overviews: Publishers Allege Traffic & Revenue Loss

Google has once again come under antitrust scrutiny in Europe, this time over its “AI Overviews” feature embedded within its search engine. According to a Reuters report, the Independent Publishers Alliance has formally filed a complaint with the European Commission, accusing Google of exploiting content from news sites and publishers to generate AI-driven summaries—leading to sharp declines in web traffic, readership, and advertising revenue.

The complaint alleges that Google compiles website content into AI-generated summaries without obtaining prior consent from publishers. These summaries are prominently placed at the top of search results, enabling users to obtain full information without ever clicking through to the original sources. This practice severely undermines visibility and disrupts the commercial models of content creators.

The alliance underscores that while Google claims websites can opt out of indexing, refusing to allow their content to be used for AI Overviews essentially removes them from search results altogether—an outcome with devastating implications for exposure. In other words, publishers are forced to accept diminished traffic from AI summarization or face total exclusion from Google Search, presenting a stark dilemma.

Since its launch last year, AI Overviews has faced backlash over inaccuracies, yet Google continues to expand the feature’s scope. Its rapid adoption in the U.S. and European markets has coincided with a marked drop in referral traffic from search engines, with news websites bearing the brunt of the impact.

In response to the allegations, Google maintains that AI Overviews empower users to ask more diverse questions, thereby fostering new avenues for content discovery rather than simply diverting traffic. The company adds that fluctuations in site traffic typically stem from multiple factors, and it would be reductive to attribute the decline solely to AI Overviews.

Nevertheless, industry voices express deep concern that by reserving the most prominent real estate on the search results page for its own AI-generated content, Google is effectively hollowing out original journalism while offering creators little to no compensation. With AI-driven search products from OpenAI and Perplexity rolling out similar features, the debate over how to protect original content is poised to become a flashpoint between publishers and tech giants.

Significantly, the European Union has been actively advancing legislative frameworks such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the AI Act, aimed at tightening oversight over major tech platforms. As a designated “gatekeeper,” Google’s search business is already under close watch. Should this complaint be upheld, it may trigger further investigations and possibly financial penalties.

The European Commission has yet to issue a formal response to the complaint, but as AI-powered search becomes increasingly entrenched, the question of how to balance platform innovation with the rights of content creators will likely become a defining issue in the next phase of global tech regulation.

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