UK watchdog gives publishers more control over google AI search summaries amid traffic concerns

News publishers in the UK will soon be able to prevent their content from appearing in Google's AI-generated search summaries, following a new directive from the country's competition watchdog aimed at giving media organizations greater control over how their content is used.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the new requirement would put publishers, including news organizations, in a stronger position to negotiate content agreements with Google. The move comes after many publishers complained that AI-generated summaries displayed at the top of search results have reduced traffic to their websites, as users increasingly rely on the summaries instead of clicking through to the original articles.

As part of the new measures, Google will begin testing controls on a select group of UK-based media websites that allow publishers to manage how their links and content appear in AI-powered search features. The company said it ultimately plans to roll out the controls globally.

The CMA said the requirements are designed to improve transparency, ensure proper attribution through clear links, and give publishers more control over how their content is used in AI-generated search results. The regulator described the measures as a world-first effort to promote fair competition, strengthen consumer trust, and create a more balanced relationship between publishers and Google's search platform.

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The watchdog added that it would announce further measures related to Google's search business in the coming weeks. Google, meanwhile, said in a blog post on Wednesday that it was working closely with regulators such as the CMA "to ensure that website owners have the right tools as user preferences evolve."

The development comes as Google continues to reshape its search experience around artificial intelligence. According to the CMA, the company announced significant changes to its search platform in May that could fundamentally alter how search results are presented to users in the UK. The regulator said the new conduct requirements would also apply to these changes and that it would continue monitoring Google's practices and assessing their impact on publishers, businesses, and consumers.