UK regulator requires Google to allow publishers to opt out of AI search

Editors should now be allowed to opt out of AI overviews and AI mode.
They should not be penalized by risking losing visibility in regular search.
Google has nine months to implement changes and must submit reports

Britain’s competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has imposed new requirements on Google now that the company has been designated with “Strategic Market Status” (SMS) across all UK search services.

Under the new rules, Google will have to allow publishers to opt out of using their content in its AI-powered search features, such as full AI mode and AI overviews that appear at the top of regular search results, but without being removed from regular search results.

This marks an important change, because previously, publishers who opted out also risked losing visibility in normal search.

Google faces new requirements under CMA rules

Additionally, the company will need to properly attribute links to the original source to publishers, which the CMA hopes will help consumers identify where the information comes from and prove its authenticity.

Looking ahead, the Authority also required Google to submit two compliance reports within the first year to demonstrate that it complies with the new requirements, and the company has nine months to fully implement all changes.

“With features like AI Overviews rapidly changing online search, it’s crucial that content publishers, including news organizations, have adequate bargaining power over how their content is used,” explained chief executive Sarah Cardell.

Google is not the only company facing CMA investigations, Microsoft and Apple are also subject to SMS investigations.

“We will also continue to use the unique flexibility of the UK regime to monitor and address future concerns as they arise and will announce further actions in relation to Google’s search business in the coming weeks,” Cardell added.

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