The UK suggests making Google allow publishers to choose not to use AI summaries

UK Watchdog Urges Google to Let Publishers Opt Out of AI Content Scraping

Britain’s competition watchdog on Wednesday said Google should allow news publishers and content creators to opt out of having their online content scraped for AI-generated search summaries, as part of efforts to curb the tech giant’s dominance in the UK search market.

The proposals were outlined by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which last year designated Google as a “strategic” player in online search advertising under new digital competition rules. The designation gives the regulator greater powers to require changes to Google’s business practices to promote competition.

In its report, the CMA said news publishers have seen a decline in website traffic since Google introduced AI Overviews—AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of some search results—because fewer users are clicking through to original articles.

The watchdog said Google should give publishers “meaningful choice” over how their content is used in AI-generated responses, increase transparency around how content is selected, and ensure proper citation of sources used in AI outputs.

Google said it would continue engaging with the regulator and website owners. “We’re now exploring updates to our controls to let sites specifically opt out of Search generative AI features,” Ron Eden, Google’s principal product management lead, said in a blog post. “Our goal is to protect the helpfulness of Search for people who want information quickly, while also giving websites the right tools to manage their content.”

Fair ranking and user choice

Will Hayter, the CMA’s executive director for digital markets, said the proposed measures would support the “long-term sustainability” of publishers and help users verify sources in AI-generated results, building trust in what they see online.

Beyond AI content use, the CMA also recommended that Google ensure fair ranking of search results, without giving preference to websites that have advertising or other commercial relationships with the company.

The watchdog further proposed measures to make it easier for users to switch search engines, including requiring choice screens on Android devices and the Chrome browser.

The CMA said it will make a final decision after gathering feedback through a public consultation, which runs until February 25.