WASHINGTON : Google is facing fresh regulatory heat in Europe after the EU’s competition watchdog announced on Tuesday that it has opened an antitrust investigation into the company’s use of online content to develop its artificial intelligence tools.
The European Commission said it suspects Google may have been leveraging its dominant position in search to impose “unfair trading conditions” on publishers by using their articles and media outputs to power features such as AI Overviews, its AI-generated summaries that appear above traditional search links in more than 100 countries.
The same concerns extend to Google’s use of YouTube videos, uploaded by millions of users, as potential training material for its AI systems.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said the investigation aims to protect content creators in an era where AI technologies increasingly depend on third-party material.
“Google may be abusing its dominant position as a search engine to impose unfair trading conditions on publishers by using their online content to provide its own AI-powered services,” Ribera said, calling the probe a “strong signal” of Europe’s commitment to defending the online press.
The case follows mounting complaints from independent publishers, who filed a formal complaint in July alleging their content was being used without proper compensation or an option to opt out.
This marks the second major tech investigation launched by the EU in less than a week. Regulators recently opened a separate probe into Meta’s plans to block AI competitors from accessing WhatsApp, reflecting the bloc’s intensifying scrutiny of AI competition practices.
If Google is found guilty of violating EU antitrust rules, it could face penalties of up to 10% of its global annual revenue, a fine that could reach billions.
Google began introducing advertisements within its AI Overviews last May, further raising concerns among publishers that the company may be profiting from AI-generated summaries built on their work.
Google is under EU scrutiny for potentially using YouTube and other online content to train its AI without consent. The investigation seeks to address concerns about unfair trading conditions imposed on publishers, with possible penalties reaching billions if Google is found in violation of antitrust rules.