European Union regulators launched an antitrust investigation into Google on Tuesday to determine if the tech giant has abused its market dominance with artificial intelligence (AI) services that exploit content creators and harm competitors.
The European Commission announced it will scrutinize Google’s use of web publishers’ content and YouTube videos for AI purposes, particularly focusing on two search features: AI Overviews, which generate automatic summaries atop traditional search results, and AI Mode, which delivers chatbot-style responses to queries.
Regulators are investigating whether Google imposed unfair terms on content creators while giving its own AI models preferential access to online material, potentially shutting out rival AI developers.
“AI is bringing remarkable innovation and many benefits for people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies,” said EU competition commissioner Teresa Ribera, who emphasized the bloc’s commitment to fair competition in emerging AI markets.
The Commission is examining whether publishers and content creators receive appropriate compensation for their work being used in AI systems, and whether they can opt out without losing access to Google Search, a potentially devastating consequence for online publishers who depend on search traffic.
Google defended its practices, and warned that the investigation “risks stifling innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever.” The company said it is committed to working with news and creative industries during the transition to AI-driven technologies.
Google will have the opportunity to respond to the Commission’s concerns as the investigation proceeds. Brussels has set no deadline for completing the case, which could reshape how tech companies deploy AI services across Europe.
“The Commission’s theory of harm would freeze search innovation in place. By insisting that Google offer every website an ‘opt-out’ from AI-generated overviews, Brussels is effectively saying that the most widely used search engine in Europe must stop using modern AI tools — even as smaller rivals remain free to do so,” Daniel Castro, director of the Center for Data Innovation, said in a statement. “That is not a recipe for competition; it is a recipe for stagnation. Search will not improve if regulators prohibit leading firms from deploying the very technologies that make results more useful.”
The probe represents the latest escalation in transatlantic tensions over tech regulation. The investigation comes days after the EU opened a similar probe into Meta Platforms Inc.’s WhatsApp AI policies and fined Elon Musk’s X platform 120 million euros ($139.5 million) for breaching digital content rules. These actions have drawn sharp criticism from the Trump administration, with officials accusing Brussels of targeting American companies.
EU officials rejected accusations of bias against American firms. Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podesta said the bloc remains “agnostic” about company nationality, focusing solely on potentially illegal behavior and harm to competition within the European Union.
President Trump has threatened new tariffs and export restrictions on advanced technology in response to EU tech regulations. U.S. officials have stated they will maintain 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum until the EU relaxes its tech oversight.
Google has already accumulated more than 9.5 billion euros ($11 billion) in EU fines, including a nearly 3 billion euro ($3.5 billion) penalty in September for favoring its own advertising technology services. The company also faces a 4.13 billion euro ($4.8 billion) Android penalty and a 2.42 billion euro ($2.8 billion) fine for harming shopping search competitors.
The current investigation proceeds under traditional EU antitrust rules rather than the newer Digital Markets Act. If violations are found, Google could face fines up to 10% of its global annual revenue, though penalties rarely reach that maximum level.
