Creators may be able to limit how Google uses their content in AI search

Content creators could gain the rights to restrict how their work is used in Google’s AI-powered search features, under new proposals floated by the UK’s competition watchdog.

The Competition and Markets Authority is seeking views on rules that would require Google to give publishers and creators greater control over whether their content is used in generative AI tools such as AI Overviews, which summarise information directly at the top of search results.

The proposals sit under the UK’s digital markets regime, which allows the CMA to impose tailored rules on firms with “strategic market status”, defined as companies with substantial and entrenched market power that act as key gateways between businesses and consumers.

Google was given that designation for general search last year, reflecting its dominance in how people access information online. 

While the consultation is framed around publishers, the implications extend directly to creators, particularly those whose work is distributed via platforms like YouTube and surfaced through search.

Under the proposed changes, Google would be required to offer a meaningful opt-out from having content used, without penalising visibility in standard search results. The CMA is also seeking greater transparency around how publisher and creator content is accessed and used within AI responses.

One option under consideration would introduce page-level controls, allowing content owners to block individual webpages from appearing in generative AI summaries while keeping those same pages visible in traditional search. The CMA suggests this mechanism could also allow publishers to explain why a page is being withdrawn, for example because it is not factually accurate.

Because such requests would be submitted via Google Search Console, which only site owners can access, this would allow Google to distinguish between feedback from users, such as thumbs-up or thumbs-down ratings, and the views of the content creator or publisher themselves.

The CMA said the measures are intended to support the financial viability of online content. It cited evidence suggesting that when publishers and creators struggle to earn a sustainable return, they are less likely to invest in producing content, which can ultimately reduce the range and quality of information available to users 

The UK consultation reflects broader scrutiny in Europe. In December, the European Commission confirmed it was investigating whether Google uses YouTube creator content to train its generative AI models on unfair terms, including whether creators are effectively required to allow AI use as a condition of publishing.

The CMA stressed that the proposals do not accuse Google of wrongdoing, but are intended to promote fairness, transparency and choice in markets where platform power is deeply entrenched.

The consultation closes on 25 February.