The European Commission has launched a formal antitrust investigation into whether Google is abusing its dominant position by using online content to train and power its artificial intelligence services without offering fair compensation or meaningful opt-out options to publishers and creators. The probe, announced Tuesday, centers on the company’s deployment of generative AI features—including “AI Overviews” and “AI Mode” in search results—and its use of YouTube videos to develop AI models.

According to the Commission, Google may be distorting competition by imposing unfair terms on web publishers whose material is incorporated into AI-generated summaries. Regulators say publishers have little ability to refuse such use without risking reduced visibility in Google Search, which remains a critical gateway for online traffic. AI Overviews, which display machine-generated responses above traditional search results, and the conversational “AI Mode” both rely on large-scale data ingestion—potentially including publishers’ content never licensed for AI purposes.

The investigation also examines whether Google has leveraged its control of YouTube to give itself an advantage in AI development. Content creators uploading videos to the platform must grant Google permission to use their material for a variety of purposes, including AI training, but are not compensated for that use. At the same time, YouTube policies block rival AI developers from accessing the same data, raising concerns that Google could be securing privileged resources unavailable to competitors.

If confirmed, these practices could violate Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits abuse of a dominant position, as well as similar provisions under the European Economic Area Agreement.

Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera said the investigation reflects Europe’s commitment to protecting media diversity, creative industries, and fair competition. The opening of the case does not prejudge its outcome, and there is no deadline for completion.

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