UK Regulator Proposes Giving Media Outlets Control Over Google AI Use of Content

Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has put forward a package of proposals that would allow UK media organisations and other content publishers to opt out of having their material used in Google’s AI Overviews—the generative summaries that appear atop many search results and have sparked concern about declining website referrals and advertising revenue for news outlets. The CMA’s consultation, launched on 28 January 2026, seeks public feedback ahead of a 25 February deadline and represents one of the first conduct requirements under the UK’s new digital markets competition regime.

Under current arrangements, publishers cannot exclude their content from Google’s AI features without also blocking their sites from appearing in regular search results—a choice that could dramatically reduce web traffic. The CMA’s proposals would require Google to develop “meaningful and effective” controls enabling publishers to decide whether and how their content is used for AI-generated summaries like AI Overviews and to train AI models, without jeopardising their visibility in standard search listings. The plans also aim to improve transparency and attribution around how Google uses crawled content.

Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s chief executive, described the measures as a significant step toward giving UK businesses and consumers greater choice and fairness in how they interact with Google’s search ecosystem, which currently handles over 90 per cent of general search queries in the country. The proposed requirements extend beyond opt-outs, with recommendations for clearer search ranking practices and measures to help users switch default search engines on Android and Chrome.

Reactions from media groups have been cautiously welcoming, viewing the opt-out provisions as a long-sought opportunity to negotiate better terms for content use in AI services while preserving crucial search referrals. Critics argue that without clear enforcement mechanisms and genuine control over crawling behaviour, publishers could remain at a disadvantage against dominant tech platforms. Supporters assert that improving attribution and offering genuine choice could help sustain independent journalism in the evolving digital landscape.

Google has responded by acknowledging the CMA’s objectives and indicating it is exploring additional controls to let websites manage the use of their content in AI features, while warning regulators against changes that could disrupt the search experience. The ongoing dialogue reflects broader global concerns about the impacts of generative AI on media economics and the balance between innovation and fair compensation for creators.

Reference –

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/28/uk-media-groups-should-be-allowed-opt-out-of-google-ai-overviews-cma-proposals