The UK's Competition and Markets Authority imposed a new conduct requirement on Google on 3 June 2026, ordering the search giant to give publishers control over whether their content is used to power AI-generated search summaries. Under the ruling, website owners will be able to opt out of having their material appear in features such as AI Overviews, and to block their content from being used to train and fine-tune Google's AI models. Google has nine months to implement all the required changes, though the CMA said it expects key controls to be available to publishers well before that deadline.
CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell described the measure as a 'world first' requirement on Google's search services in the UK, saying it would enable 'fair treatment, greater transparency and meaningful choice for businesses and consumers' [Source: Silicon Republic]. Cardell added that further action in relation to Google's search business would be announced in the coming weeks. The CMA said the requirement will put publishers in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google.
Google said it would begin testing a new toggle in Search Console allowing website owners to decide whether their content appears in AI Overviews, AI Mode and related features. Sites that opt out will not receive traffic or impressions from those features, though the setting will not affect rankings in standard search results. Google will also be required to attribute publisher content clearly, using links, in AI-generated search results, and must submit compliance reports every six months in the first year, backed by data and metrics. Google's AI Overviews feature now has over 2.5 billion monthly active users, while AI Mode has surpassed one billion [Source: Silicon Republic]. Online advertisers have also reacted with concern to Google's broader announcement of what Alphabet described as the biggest shift in its search tool in more than 25 years, with the search bar to be 'completely reimagined' with artificial intelligence [Source: Bloomberg].
The ruling follows complaints by publishers over a decline in website traffic since Google launched AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. Google is the first tech platform to face conduct requirements under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, having been designated with strategic market status in general search services in October on the basis of what the CMA called 'substantial and entrenched market power' in the sector. More than 90% of online searches in the UK are carried out on Google. The CMA has launched four strategic market status investigations into major tech companies since the digital markets regime came into force, covering Google, Apple and Microsoft. Alphabet Inc. is the parent of Google, with shares trading under tickers GOOGL and GOOG.
Sources: Bloomberg, The Guardian, BBC News, The Verge, Silicon Republic, Irish News, Press Gazette