UK publishers can opt out of Google AI summaries

Online publishers in the UK will be able to block their content from appearing in Google’s AI-generated search summaries under new requirements announced by the Competition and Markets Authority, a move the regulator said would strengthen news organisations and other websites in negotiations with the tech company.

The CMA said the measure would “put publishers, like news organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google” at a time when many media companies say AI summaries at the top of search results are reducing visits to their sites. Publishers have complained that users can read Google’s AI-generated answers without clicking through to the original reporting, cutting traffic and, in turn, revenue.

Until now, The Guardian reported, websites could not opt out of having their content used in AI Overviews without also withdrawing from traditional Google search. For publishers that depend on Google for visibility, that choice carried major risks. Google accounts for more than 90% of general searches in the UK, according to the CMA, and publishers have relied heavily on its search results for nearly three decades to drive readers to their businesses.

Google said in a blog post Wednesday that it is testing new controls allowing website owners to manage how their links and content appear in AI search features, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. The company said the tools will be tested first with a subset of UK-based media sites before being rolled out globally.

“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,” said Mrinalini Loew, general manager at Google Search Ecosystem.

Google said it was engaging with regulators such as the CMA “to ensure website owners have the right tools as user preferences evolve.” Sites that opt out will not receive traffic or impressions from Google’s generative AI features, the company said. Loew added that the new control will not be used as a ranking signal for search results outside Google’s generative AI search features.

The CMA also said Google must properly attribute publisher content that appears in AI-generated search results, with clear links to the original sites. The regulator said the requirement is intended to improve transparency and consumer trust.

“It is crucial that content publishers, including news organisations, have appropriate bargaining power over how their content is used,” CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said. She described the measure as a “world-first requirement on Google’s search services in the UK” that would enable “fair treatment, greater transparency and meaningful choice for businesses and consumers”.

The requirements fall under the UK’s digital markets competition regime and follow the CMA’s decision to designate Google as having strategic market status in general search services. The regulator said Google has nine months to bring in all the changes, though it wants “important parts” implemented earlier.

The News Media Association, which represents UK news publishers including The Guardian, called the decision a “significant step towards levelling the playing field and building a fair, transparent digital economy where premium content is properly respected and fairly compensated”.

Tom Lewis, a competition lawyer at Geradin Partners and former CMA director who represents news publishers on Google search issues, said the changes would help publishers retain some control over how Google uses their work. “The CMA should be congratulated for tackling this issue. They are aiming to open up competition on the key digital platforms,” he said, adding that Google’s plan to roll out changes globally was a “big win”.

The CMA said it will continue monitoring Google Search, including changes announced by Google in May that could significantly alter how search results are presented to UK users. The watchdog said further announcements related to Google’s search business are expected in the coming weeks.