Google Zero is under investigation by the EU

Google is under investigation by the European Union on suspicion of violating competition rules by imposing restrictions on web publishers and YouTube creators to gain an unfair advantage over other AI companies.

Concerns highlighted by the European Commission include the use of web publishers’ content for features such as AI Previews and AI Mode in Search, as well as the integration of YouTube content into Google’s generative AI models, while failing to provide “appropriate compensation” or the ability to opt out of such use of their content. These concerns relate to the existential threat of “Google Zero” – the point at which Google Search no longer sends users to third-party sites, thereby depriving them of traffic and revenue.

The Commission will study the ability of web publishers to keep their content away from Google’s AI features without losing access to search, which many rely on for user traffic. He notes that YouTube’s policies allow Google to train on uploaded content while prohibiting its use to train competing AI models.

The EU says the investigation is being carried out “as a priority”. There is no official deadline for the investigation. If Google is found to have broken EU competition laws, it could face fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue. Google parent Alphabet reported annual revenue of $350 billion in 2024, leading to potential fines of up to $35 billion.

“A free and democratic society depends on media diversity, free access to information and a vibrant creative landscape. These values ​​are at the heart of who we are as Europeans,” EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said in the statement. “AI brings remarkable innovation and many benefits to people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles that are at the heart of our societies. »