Independent publishers demand urgent action to halt traffic losses
Alphabet’s Google is under mounting regulatory pressure in Europe after a coalition of independent publishers filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission over its AI Overviews feature, according to documents seen by Reuters. The group also requested interim measures to prevent what it claims is ongoing and irreversible harm to independent journalism.
Google’s AI Overviews are machine-generated summaries that appear at the top of search result pages across more than 100 countries. These summaries often pull from existing web content, including news articles, effectively displacing traditional hyperlinks and pushing original sources further down the page. The feature began integrating ads in May, turning it into a new revenue stream for Google.
According to the Independent Publishers Alliance, which filed the complaint on June 30, Google is abusing its dominant position in search by using publisher content to train its large language models and populate AI Overviews without offering publishers an option to opt out—unless they also forfeit visibility on search results.
The complaint argues that this practice is already causing substantial declines in traffic, readership, and revenue for affected publishers, especially independent news outlets. The group is calling for immediate regulatory intervention to prevent “irreparable harm” to competition and the public’s access to news content.
Google defends AI integration amid growing backlash
In response, Google said it continues to drive “billions of clicks” to websites each day and that AI Overviews enhance user engagement by encouraging more diverse queries. “Sites can gain and lose traffic for many reasons, including seasonal trends and algorithm updates,” the company said, dismissing the claims as speculative and lacking comprehensive data.
But critics remain unconvinced. Foxglove Legal, a nonprofit co-signatory to the complaint, said the new AI features pose an “existential threat” to independent journalism. Co-executive director Rosa Curling called on regulators to allow news organizations to opt out of AI training and summary inclusion while remaining on Google Search.
Alongside Foxglove, the Movement for an Open Web and digital advertising advocates are also backing the complaint, which has been filed with both the European Commission and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. The groups argue that the AI Overviews distort competition and centralize informational power in Google’s hands.
These actions mirror concerns raised in the United States, where a lawsuit filed by an edtech firm claims AI Overviews are undermining publishers by reducing the need for users to visit original content sources, leading to fewer visitors and subscriptions.
