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The European Commission has initiated a formal probe into Google’s use of web publisher and YouTube content, scrutinising whether the tech giant has exploited third-party materials without fair compensation or transparent opt-out options, amid broader regulatory crackdowns on US tech giants.
The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust probe into Google’s use of online content to develop and power its artificial intelligence offerings, focusing on whether the company has relied on publishers’ web content and YouTube material without fair compensation or meaningful opt-out mechanisms. According to the original report, the preliminary inquiry will examine features such as Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode to determine whether they depend on publisher content in ways that leave creators unable to refuse use without jeopardising their visibility on Google Search. [1][2][3]
The Commission said: “The Commission will investigate to what extent the generation of AI Overviews and AI Mode by Google is based on web publishers’ content without appropriate compensation for that, and without the possibility for publishers to refuse without losing access to Google Search.” EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera framed the investigation as an effort to ensure that “this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies,” and said regulators will assess whether Google imposed unfair terms on content creators. [1][3]
Google has defended its practices. A company spokesperson told reporters the complaint “risks stifling innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever. Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies and we will continue to work closely with the news and creative industries as they transition to the AI era,” an argument the company says is aimed at protecting the pace of technological development. Industry observers and publishers, however, see the probe as addressing deeper questions about bargaining power and access to the material that fuels generative AI. [1][2][3]
YouTube is central to the scrutiny. While Google has long prohibited third parties from scraping YouTube videos for AI training without permission, creators can enable a setting allowing their content to be used; at the same time YouTube’s policies state uploaded material “may be used to ‘improve the product experience for creators and viewers across YouTube and Google, including through machine learning and AI applications.'” Reports this year say Google used a subset of YouTube videos to train models such as Gemini and Veo 3, though the firm says only portions of uploaded content were used. Observers warn that because creators currently lack an effective universal opt-out, the scale of YouTube means even a small slice could represent enormous volumes of training data. [1][4][6]
Media and creator groups lodged complaints that helped trigger the inquiry. Independent publishers and advocacy organisations including the Independent Publishers Alliance, Movement for an Open Web, and Foxglove have alleged Google leverages its dominant search position to prioritise its AI products and extract value from third-party content without fair terms. The Commission will consider whether Google’s behaviour excludes rival AI developers by restricting access to key content and whether that harms competition and consumers. The case could lead to significant penalties if violations are found, including fines of up to 10% of global revenue. [3][2]
The probe is the latest episode in Brussels’ intensified regulatory campaign against major U.S. technology companies. In recent months the EU has fined Google nearly €3 billion over alleged ad-tech abuses and imposed penalties and inquiries against other platforms , including a €120 million fine against X for deceptive design of its paid verification and an antitrust review of Meta’s new WhatsApp AI policy. Officials say enforcement aims to preserve competitive markets as AI becomes core to online services. [1][3][5]
Experts warn the investigations raise complex intellectual property and transparency issues. Reporting has highlighted that YouTube hosts more than 20 billion videos and that even training on a small percentage could dwarf datasets used by many competing models; yet YouTube has not been specific about the number or identity of videos used. Some industry voices suggest the situation could precipitate a broader rethink of compensation and licensing for creative works used in AI training. Google says it is investing in safeguards and has publicly framed content use as part of improving recommendations and creating features such as auto-dubbing and generative tools. [4][6]
The Commission’s action follows a July complaint and arrives amid parallel probes into other AI-related practices across the sector. While Google says it will engage with news and creative industries, regulators insist their remit is to protect competition and consumers rather than target companies by nationality. The inquiry has no fixed timeline; but officials and legal experts note that if the Commission finds breaches of EU competition rules, remedies could include behavioural changes, fines and requirements to offer clearer opt-outs or compensation mechanisms for creators. [3][2]
📌 Reference Map:
##Reference Map:
- [1] (Computing) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 6
- [2] (AP News) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 8
- [3] (Reuters) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 8
- [4] (CNBC) – Paragraph 4, Paragraph 7
- [5] (Reuters) – Paragraph 6
- [6] (The Wrap) – Paragraph 4, Paragraph 7
Source: Fuse Wire
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