The European Union has intensified scrutiny of Big Tech, with the European Commission launching a comprehensive antitrust investigation into Google’s practices regarding the use of online content for its artificial intelligence models and services. Regulators are examining whether Google violated EU competition laws by leveraging content from websites and YouTube without adequate compensation or providing content creators meaningful opt-out options.

The probe specifically targets Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode. AI Overviews automatically generate summaries above search results, while AI Mode provides chatbot-style answers. Regulators are concerned that Google may have gained an unfair advantage by using publishers’ material without compensation and imposing “unfair terms and conditions.” Many content producers have limited choices, as Google directs most web traffic and restricts YouTube uploads if users refuse consent for AI training.

A central issue is whether Google is harming competition in the AI sector by granting itself privileged access to vast web content while restricting rival AI firms from using the same resources. This could potentially stifle innovation and create an uneven playing field in the fast-growing AI market.

Google responded to the probe, warning that the complaint could “stifle innovation” in an increasingly competitive market. The company emphasized that Europeans deserve access to the latest technologies and pledged continued collaboration with news and creative industries during the transition to AI.

The EU’s investigation coincides with a wave of copyright lawsuits against AI companies like Perplexity, initiated by major publishers including The New York Times and Reddit. Unlike these cases, the EU probe addresses broader competition concerns rather than individual content-licensing issues, aiming to maintain a fair market landscape among AI developers.

Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s vice president for competition, stressed that while AI drives innovation, this progress must not compromise societal principles. This probe reflects the EU’s ongoing pattern of rigorous tech regulation, following recent antitrust investigations into WhatsApp’s AI practices and fines imposed on X (formerly Twitter). Despite criticism from some U.S. officials targeting American firms, the EU remains committed to enforcing fair competition.