The EU is investigating Google for using content to train AI.
Date: 2025-12-10 Author: Gabriel Deangelo Categories: BUSINESS
The European Commission has launched an antitrust investigation against Google, focusing on the possible use of publisher content and YouTube video content to train artificial intelligence and generate AI Overviews. This move marks the second major investigation against the company in a month and reflects the EU's increasing scrutiny of generative AI technologies.
Regulators are examining whether Google receives sufficient compensation for the use of news website content in its AI Overviews service, as well as whether publishers have the option to opt out of including their content. Similar questions are being raised regarding user-generated videos on YouTube, which authorities believe may be used to train AI companies without the consent of their creators.
The head of the EU's Antitrust Authority, Teresa Ribera, emphasized the Commission's concerns about the potential abuse of Google's dominant search engine position. The company may impose conditions on publishers that place them at a disadvantage, negatively impacting the diversity and sustainability of the information market.
Google denies the allegations and insists that complaints filed by independent publishers in July could hinder the development of a competitive AI market. The company maintains that it collaborates with the media industry and supports it during technological change.
AI Overviews are AI-powered summaries that appear above regular search links and are available in over 100 countries. Since last year, these blocks have featured advertising, which has heightened publisher concerns. The EU is also reviewing Google's spam policy following a separate media complaint. If violations are confirmed, the company could face a fine of up to 10% of its global annual revenue.
Furthermore, in early December 2025, the EU opened an investigation against Meta regarding the operation of AI features on WhatsApp. This underscores the European Commission's commitment to developing uniform rules for artificial intelligence technologies. That same month, X (formerly Twitter) was fined €120 million for misleading users, restricting researchers' access to data, and insufficient advertising transparency.
Earlier, Google announced the need to dramatically increase its AI capacity by 2030, underscoring the technology's strategic importance to the company and simultaneously increasing regulatory scrutiny of its actions.
