Google facing a new antitrust probe in Europe over content it uses for AI

European regulators launched a new antitrust investigation into Google on Tuesday, examining how the tech giant uses online content for its artificial intelligence services and models, adding to the growing regulatory pressure on major technology companies.

The European Commission, the EU’s primary antitrust enforcer, is specifically scrutinizing whether Google has violated competition rules by utilizing content from web publishers and YouTube uploads for AI purposes without proper compensation or consent options.

“AI is bringing remarkable innovation and many benefits for people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies,” said Teresa Ribera, the commission’s vice president overseeing competition affairs.

At the center of the investigation are two of Google’s AI-powered search features: AI Overviews, which provides automatically generated summaries at the top of traditional search results, and AI Mode, which delivers chatbot-style responses to user queries. Regulators are concerned that Google may be gaining an unfair competitive advantage by using publishers’ content for these features without payment or allowing them to opt out of inclusion.

The probe also extends to how Google utilizes videos uploaded to YouTube, which it owns, to train its generative AI models while potentially restricting access for competing AI developers. Investigators will determine whether Google imposed unfair terms or gave itself privileged access to content, creating barriers for competitors in the rapidly evolving AI market.

Google defended its practices in a statement, saying, “This complaint risks stifling innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever. Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies and we will continue to work closely with the news and creative industries as they transition to the AI era.”

Unlike previous actions against tech companies, the Commission is conducting this investigation under its longstanding competition regulations rather than the newer Digital Markets Act, which was specifically designed to prevent major tech companies from monopolizing online markets.

The investigation comes amid a series of regulatory actions by Brussels targeting major technology platforms. Last week, the Commission opened an antitrust investigation into WhatsApp’s AI policy and fined X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, 120 million euros ($140 million) for breaching digital regulations.

These moves have sparked criticism from the Trump administration, with U.S. officials suggesting that American companies are being disproportionately targeted by European regulators. The Commission has firmly rejected these claims, with spokeswoman Arianna Podesta stating that the body remains “agnostic” about the nationality of companies under investigation.

“Of course, the sole focus of our antitrust investigations is a possible illegal behavior and the harm that this could bring to competition and consumers within the European Union,” Podesta told reporters in Brussels.

The increasing regulatory scrutiny of AI practices reflects growing concerns about how technology companies utilize vast amounts of online content to train and power their AI systems. Content creators and publishers worldwide have raised alarms about their work being used without permission or compensation to develop AI tools that could ultimately compete with or replace their services.

Google will have the opportunity to respond to these concerns as the investigation proceeds. The Commission has also informed U.S. authorities about the probe, which has no set deadline for completion. If found in violation of EU competition rules, Google could face substantial penalties, including fines of up to 10% of its annual global revenue.

This case represents a significant escalation in how regulators approach AI development and deployment, potentially establishing important precedents for how technology companies can use existing online content to power next-generation AI services while respecting creators’ rights and maintaining fair competition.