Google must give UK publishers choice to block AI search summaries, says competition watchdog – business live

Key events The rules announced today come after the CMA decided last year to designate Google with strategic market status in general search services, a term that means the company has such market power that it requires a special regulatory regime. The watchdog has the power under new digital laws to order changes to how Google operates in those areas. It will be a welcome change for many news media organisations and web publishers, who are hoping that it could increase their leverage to get paid if their content is used in Google’s AI mode. Cardell has also said this morning that Google’s compliance would be actively monitored and that the regulator will be “announcing further action in relation to Google’s search business in the coming weeks”. Introduction: Google must give UK publishers choice to block AI search summaries, says competition watchdog Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. The UK’s competition watchdog has announced that web publishers and news organisations will now be able to opt out of AI overviews of Google search results. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said its new rules will put “publishers, like news organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google”. …