UK Publishers Can Opt Out of Google AI Search Results

Online publishers in the UK will soon be able to choose whether their content appears in Google’s AI-generated search summaries after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced new measures aimed at strengthening publishers’ negotiating power. The regulator said the change would help news organisations and other content creators secure fairer agreements with Google over the use of their content.

The move follows growing concerns from website owners who have reported significant declines in traffic since Google introduced AI Overviews at the top of its search results pages. In a blog post published on Wednesday, Google confirmed it is testing new controls that allow website owners to opt out of AI-generated search features. The company said the tools would be trialled in the UK before being rolled out globally.

Google added that it is working closely with regulators to ensure website owners have greater control over how their content is used as search behaviour continues to evolve. Websites that choose to opt out will no longer receive traffic or impressions from AI-generated search results, although their rankings in traditional Google Search results will remain unaffected.

The CMA also said Google must provide clear attribution and direct links to publishers whose content appears in AI-generated search responses. Will Hayter, the CMA’s Executive Director for Digital Markets, said transparency is essential so users can clearly understand the source of information and trust what they are reading.

CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell described the measure as a world-first requirement designed to deliver greater transparency, fair treatment and meaningful choice for businesses and consumers. She said it was important that publishers, including news organisations, have sufficient bargaining power over how their content is used by AI systems.

Theo Bamber, Chief Executive of the News Media Association, welcomed the decision, calling it a significant step towards creating a fairer digital economy. He added that strong political support would be needed to ensure meaningful progress towards fair compensation for publisher content and to safeguard the future of quality journalism.

Google currently accounts for more than 90% of the UK online search market, according to the CMA, and publishers have relied heavily on search traffic for nearly three decades. However, many websites have seen visitor numbers decline as AI-generated summaries increasingly replace traditional links at the top of search results pages.

The rise of AI-powered search tools and chatbots has further intensified concerns among publishers, as these systems often generate answers using information sourced from existing websites. The CMA believes the ability to opt out of AI search results will give publishers greater leverage to negotiate commercial agreements for the use of their content in AI-generated responses.