UK publishers are reportedly experiencing a significant decline in search traffic following the introduction of Google’s AI Overviews, prompting a formal complaint to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The complaint,lodged by a coalition including the tech justice group Foxglove,the independent Publishers Alliance,and the Movement for an Open Web,highlights concerns that Google’s AI-generated summaries are diverting users away from original news sources. MailOnline, for instance, has reported a considerable drop in clicks from search results featuring AI summaries, with clickthrough rates falling by 56.1% on desktop and 48.2% on mobile devices.
Owen Meredith, chief executive of the News Media Association, criticized Google’s practice, stating that the company is attempting to retain users within its own ecosystem by monetizing content created by others. He warned that the current situation is “entirely unsustainable” and could lead to the demise of quality online information, urging the CMA to intervene.
rosa Curling,director of Foxglove,echoed these sentiments,pointing to new research that illustrates the “devastating impact” of Google’s AI Overviews on the UK’s independent news sector. She argued that Google is not only utilizing journalists’ work without proper attribution but is also leveraging it to enhance its own tools and profitability, while simultaneously hindering media outlets’ ability to connect with their readership.
