UK Publisher Protections a First in Holding Google Accountable in AI Content Grab
The Center for Media and Digital Governance (CMDG) released the following statements regarding the UK Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) announcement today that Google will need to adhere to new conduct requirements in their use of publisher content for AI Overviews. CMDG was at the forefront of urging the CMA to adopt remedies to level the playing field with publishers in the transition to AI-enabled search.
Statement from Courtney C. Radsch, Director of the Center for Media and Digital Governance (CMDG) at the Open Markets Institute
"Today's announcement is a meaningful first step toward leveling the playing field for news publishers, journalists, and everyone who believes that the creators of valuable information should not be forced to freely subsidize the business models of dominant AI and technology companies, one of the central problems emerging in the AI economy. The CMA decision marks the first time that a competition regulator has placed publisher protections at the forefront of AI enforcement, rather than tucking them away for future consideration. And its impact will be felt globally as Google appears set to roll out new controls for publishers and website owners.
For too long, dominant digital platforms have been permitted to extract value from journalism while weakening the economic foundations of the organizations that produce it. Because AI systems are so dependent on high-quality reporting and information, regulators cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the platform era by allowing nonconsensual, uncompensated use of journalistic content while failing to cultivate more transparent and fair digital markets.
The CMA’s decision reflects a growing global recognition that Google’s dominance in search and AI cannot be treated as separate from the crisis facing journalism and our information ecosystems more broadly. Alongside recent developments in Brazil, France, South Africa, and other jurisdictions that similarly increased scrutiny over Google’s use of news content to fuel its AI business, today's announcement sends a strong message: the individuals and organizations producing the information on which AI systems rely cannot be an afterthought in the governance of digital markets.
Independent journalism is an essential public infrastructure for democratic societies. If AI systems derive value from news content, the organizations that invest in reporting, fact-finding, and accountability journalism must have meaningful leverage in determining the terms of that relationship. The sustainability of journalism is not merely an industry concern, it is a democratic concern.”
Statement from Karina Montoya, Program Manager at the Center for Media and Digital Governance at the Open Markets Institute
"We commend the CMA for recognizing the urgency of these concerns and for making publisher protections part of its first set of conduct requirements. The challenge now is enforcement. History shows that dominant firms rarely change their conduct without sustained oversight and accountability. Meaningful protections for publishers will require regulators to ensure that these requirements produce real-world outcomes, not merely procedural compliance.
When we urged the CMA to make publisher remedies an early priority, we argued that delaying action would allow AI markets to consolidate around business models built on the uncompensated extraction of value from publishers. We warned that waiting until later phases of enforcement risked allowing existing harms to deepen while AI markets rapidly consolidated. Today's announcement demonstrates that regulators can act before those harms become entrenched. Publishers should not have to wait until 2027 to see if the remedies are working.
The fact that publisher-related protections are among the first conduct requirements being advanced reflects the growing recognition that the future of journalism cannot be separated from the governance of AI markets.
We are encouraged to see the CMA take these issues seriously and establish an early framework for addressing them. But this announcement is only the beginning, as it remains to be seen whether the remedy will be enforced with the urgency required. The real measure of success will be whether these requirements produce concrete benefits for publishers, journalists, and the communities they serve.”
###
The Center for Media and Digital Governance (CMDG) at the Open Markets Institute investigates concentrated power over digital infrastructure, AI systems, and information markets through research, convening, and advocacy. We develop policy frameworks promoting democratic governance and serving the public interest rather than private gatekeepers. Learn more and sign up for updates at www.cmdg.tech and follow our Information & Power Substack here.