A group of independent European publishers has filed an antitrust complaint against Google, claiming that its AI-generated summaries, known as AI Overviews, are harming their traffic and revenue. According to a report by the New York Post, the complaint was submitted to the European Commission on June 30 by the Independent Publishers Alliance. It accuses Google of abusing its dominance in online search by prioritising its own AI content over publishers’ links.
Publishers raise concerns over traffic loss and ‘zero-click’ searches
The complaint focuses on how AI Overviews, which appear above search results, reduce user engagement with original news websites. Data from analytics firm SimilarWeb shows that 37 of the top 50 US news outlets experienced year-on-year traffic declines after the feature was launched in May 2024. The firm also reported that “zero-click” searches — where users do not click any external links — rose from 56% in May 2024 to 69% in May 2025 for news-related queries.
Publishers argue that this behavior undermines the economic foundation of journalism by discouraging readers from visiting the original content sources. They have requested the European Commission to impose interim measures to prevent what they describe as “irreparable harm.”
No opt-out without a penalty, publishers say
The complaint also claims that publishers have no meaningful way to opt out of having their content used to train Google’s AI models or displayed in summaries, without also sacrificing their visibility in search results. This, they argue, unfairly limits their autonomy and gives Google a competitive edge.
The filing is supported by advocacy groups including the Movement for an Open Web and UK-based nonprofit Foxglove Legal. Rosa Curling, co-director of Foxglove, warned that Google’s current practices could threaten the survival of independent journalism.
Google denies wrongdoing
Google rejected the accusations, arguing that AI Overviews actually help users explore broader topics and discover more content. A spokesperson said that Google continues to send billions of clicks to websites every day, noting that search traffic naturally fluctuates due to algorithm changes and evolving user behavior.
This complaint follows similar concerns in the United States, where Google is also facing a lawsuit over claims that AI Overviews reduce demand for original content and harm competition.
Google remains under heavy regulatory scrutiny worldwide. It is currently appealing a €4.3 billion EU fine over Android-related practices and was found last year by a US court to have unlawfully monopolised digital advertising markets.