EU to investigate how Google uses online content for AI training

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Google over concerns that the company may be violating EU competition law by extracting content from websites for free to create AI-generated search summaries.

“The European Commission will investigate to what extent Google's generation of AI Overview and AI Mode is based on the content of web publishers, without adequate compensation and without the possibility of publishers refusing without losing access to Google Search,” the EU executive agency said today. “In fact, many publishers rely on Google Search for their user traffic and don't want to risk losing access to Google Search.”

The second part of the commission's investigation also focuses on Google's use of AI, examining whether the company used YouTube content to train its generative AI models without adequately compensating creators or allowing them to opt out.

“Europeans have the right to benefit from the latest technologies and we will continue to work closely with the news and creative industries as they move into the AI ​​era,” the European Union said.

There are currently a number of lawsuits surrounding data scraping and AI companies in the United States. In some cases, media companies have signed contracts with companies. Litigation continues in other areas.

The EU isn't trying to negotiate content licensing deals for anyone, it's trying to make sure publishers and YouTube get paid for their work. It also wants to level the playing field for all AI companies by investigating how Google could benefit from giving it “privileged access” to online content.

In response, a Google spokesperson told the media that the study “risks stifling innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever.”

Europe has been the subject of continued criticism, with U.S. Big Tech companies saying overregulation is slowing innovation. Most recently, the bloc announced it would ease data protection rules to foster the growth of AI. This comes after President Trump expressed concern that such restrictions on businesses are hindering the United States' ability to compete ahead of China. The EU is currently in the midst of reform and will need to make some adjustments to its controversial AI laws.

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