Google is considering new options that would allow websites and publishers to opt out of having their content used in AI-generated Overviews. This development follows pressure from the UK government, which has called on the company to give content creators more control due to concerns over fair usage and declining traffic to news websites.
UK Regulators Push for Greater Publisher Control
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a formal consultation to examine how Google handles content across its AI-powered features. The regulator is urging Google to allow websites to opt out of having their material scraped for AI-generated summaries or used in training separate AI models, such as Gemini.
In a recent blog post, Google confirmed it is working on updates that would enable websites to exclude their content from Search generative AI features. The company stated its goal is to maintain the usefulness of Search while providing publishers with tools to control how their content appears within AI products.
Google introduced AI Overviews in mid-2024. This feature uses generative AI to deliver quick answers at the top of search results. However, publishers have had no option to opt out of these summaries, resulting in significant drops in click-through traffic to their sites.
The CMA highlighted that Google holds over 90% of the UK’s search market share. It warned that such dominance could distort competition and negatively impact news organisations that depend on search visibility for traffic.
Google stressed that any new opt-out controls must be scalable and should not create a fragmented or confusing experience for users. The company referenced existing tools like robots.txt and Google-Extended but acknowledged that further improvements are necessary.
The CMA will review feedback from its consultation over the coming year. Google expressed its intention to work with publishers and regulators to find a balanced solution that benefits both users and content creators.
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