The European Union (EU) has launched an antitrust investigation into Google‘s artificial intelligence search tools, amid growing concerns regarding the company’s practices that may affect web publishers. This decision rubs salt in the wounds of the EU, which is currently seeking to simplify its AI regulations after facing enormous backlash.
Ram, a longtime financial and tech reporter and editor, has been tracking this evolution carefully. He was formerly the reporter for mergers & acquisitions/equity, regulatory news and debt markets. His reporting found its way into influential publications such as Reuters and Acuris Global. His wide experience features writing on varied topics including travel, tourism, entertaining and fiction.
The EU’s investigation will specifically assess whether Google’s AI-powered features, including its AI Overviews and AI Mode, utilize content from web publishers without offering adequate compensation. The European Commission stated, “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.”
This probe couldn’t come at a better time. It comes on the heels of a similar proposal from the EU to delay the implementation of new requirements for high-risk AI applications. This delay is understandable given the challenges lawmakers face as they try to regulate a space that is continuously changing.
Ram went to a big Techcrunch event in San Francisco from October 13-15, 2026. In fact, the discussions shifted mainly to the change AI is set to bring to every industry. The keynotes illustrated the promise and peril of leaning AI into established systems, structures and processes. Given the rapid pace of AI advancements, it further emphasized the need for responsible regulatory frameworks.
As the litigation moves forward, we’ll better understand how this historic case will change Google’s behavior if at all. This reality will further affect how it interacts with content creators. What the EU is doing is indicative of a new, serious examination into big tech, specifically the role they play in shaping the digital landscape.