The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) requires Google to give website publishers more control over whether their content is used in Google’s generative AI search features. Under the CMA’s new conduct rules, publishers will be able to opt out of having their sites used to power AI-generated answers such as “AI Overviews,” rather than relying on appearing only through traditional search links. The CMA says this approach addresses concerns that AI summaries can reduce traffic to publisher websites and strengthens publishers’ ability to negotiate content deals with Google.
The rules also cover additional controls, including the ability for publishers to prevent Google from using their content for “fine-tuning” AI models. Google is expected to provide clear attribution and links in AI-generated results. The CMA will oversee compliance: Google has nine months to implement changes and must submit compliance reports every six months for at least the first year.
Google has indicated it will test opt-out controls with a small number of U.K.-based publishers first and has described an opt-out toggle that removes publishers from generative AI search features, with related metrics and data shared about AI responses. Some industry reporting also notes that publishers may find the opt-out harder to use due to timing and data limitations.
