UK regulator mandates that Google should let publishers opt out of AI search

• Publishers must now be allowed to opt out of AI Overviews and AI Mode
• They should not be penalized by risking visibility loss in regular search
• Google given nine months to implement changes, must submit reports

Britain's competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has imposed new requirements on Google now that the company has been designated as having 'Strategic Market Status' (SMS) across UK search services.

Under the new rules, Google will have to allow publishers to opt out of having their content used in its AI-powered search features, like full AI Mode and the AI Overviews that appear at the top of regular search results – but without being removed from regular search results.

This marks an important change, because previously, publishers who opted out also had to risk losing visibility in regular search.

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Google faces new requirements under CMA rules

Additionally, the company will be required to properly attribute publishers with links back to the original source, which the CMA hopes will help consumers identify where information came from and to prove its authenticity.

Looking forward, the Authority has also demanded that Google submit two compliance reports within the first year to prove that it's adhering to the new requirements, with the company given nine months to fully implement all the changes.

"With features like AI Overviews rapidly reshaping online search, it is crucial that content publishers, including news organisations, have appropriate bargaining power over how their content is used," Chief Exec Sarah Cardell explained.

Google isn't the only company facing investigations from the CMA, with Microsoft and Apple also subject to SMS probes.

"We’ll also continue to use the unique flexibility of the UK regime to monitor and address future concerns as they arise and we will be announcing further action in relation to Google’s search business in the coming weeks," Cardell added.

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