Google is under investigation by the European Union over concerns that it breached competition rules by imposing restrictions on web publishers and YouTube creators to gain an unfair advantage over other AI companies.
Concerns outlined by the European Commission include using content from web publishers for features like AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search, and feeding YouTube content into Google’s generative AI models — all while failing to provide “appropriate compensation” or the ability to refuse such use of their content. These concerns are tied to the existential threat of “Google Zero” — the moment in which Google Search no longer refers users to third-party sites, thereby starving them of traffic and revenue.
The Commission will investigate the capacity for web publishers to keep their content out of Google’s AI features without losing access to Search, something that many are dependent on for user traffic. It notes that YouTube’s policies allow Google to train on uploaded content while banning its use to train rival AI models.
The EU says the probe is being carried out “as a matter of priority.” There is no official deadline for the investigation. If Google is found to have breached the bloc’s competition laws, it could face fines of up to 10 percent of its global annual revenue. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, reported annual revenue of $350 billion in 2024, placing potential fines as high as $35 billion.
“A free and democratic society depends on diverse media, open access to information, and a vibrant creative landscape. These values are central to who we are as Europeans,” European competition commissioner Teresa Ribera said in the announcement. “AI is bringing remarkable innovation and many benefits for people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies.”