Google is under investigation by the European Union over concerns that it violated competition rules to gain an unfair advantage over other AI companies over web publishers and YouTube creators.
Concerns cited by the European Commission include using web publishers’ content in search for features such as AI review and AI mode, and feeding YouTube content into Google’s generative AI models — all of which have failed to provide “adequate compensation” or the ability to refuse such use of their content. These concerns are linked to the existential threat of “Google Zero”—the moment when Google Search users aren’t dying from third-party sites, and are thus starved of traffic and revenue.
The commission will investigate the ability of web publishers to keep their content away from Google’s AI features without losing access to search, which many rely on for user traffic. It noted that YouTube’s policies allow Google to train on uploaded content while prohibiting its use to train rival AI models.
The European Union says investigations are being carried out “as a matter of priority”. There is no official deadline for the investigation. If Google violates the bloc’s competition rules, it could face fines of up to 10 percent of its global annual revenue. Google parent Alphabet reported annual revenue of $350 billion in 2024, with potential penalties reaching $35 billion.
“A free and democratic society depends on diverse media, open access to information, and a vibrant creative landscape. These values are at the heart of who we are as Europeans,” European Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said in the announcement. “AI is bringing remarkable innovation and many benefits to people and businesses across Europe, but these advances cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies.”
