CMA grants publishers greater control over AI use in Google Search
Associate Stephen Cartwright comments on the recent announcement by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that online publishers and news organisations will now be able to prevent their content from appearing in Google’s AI Overviews in UK search results.
"This is a meaningful step by the CMA to rebalance the power dynamics between platforms and publishers, particularly given Google’s dominant position in search. By introducing a genuine opt‑out alongside clearer attribution requirements, publishers should have a stronger starting point from which to negotiate how their content is used in generative AI, including AI-driven search summaries.
"As search behaviour continues to evolve with the rapid adoption of generative AI (and the increasing switch from traditional search engines to AI tools), the key question will be how publishers manage the trade-off between commercialising their content and retaining control versus visibility."
An extract of Stephen's comments was published in Advanced Television, 3 June 2026, and Performance Marketing World, 4 June 2026.
