French newspaper publishers are uniting against Google’s “AI Overviews.” A coalition of nearly 300 media outlets has filed a complaint with the French competition authority against the US corporation. The publishers fear that the summaries generated by Google will further reduce traffic to their websites. They are demanding fair compensation for the use of their content.
At the heart of the dispute is Google’s “AI Overview” feature, launched in France at the end of July. The feature has been available in Germany for some time, having been introduced there in March of last year. Media houses repeatedly reported on the growing resistance to it in Germany . With relevant search queries, the AI Overviews display an AI-generated summary above the regular search results, aggregating information from various sources. While Google cites the sources used in these overviews, French publishers fear that users will visit the linked news sites significantly less often in the future.
The newspaper association Apig, which supports the complaint, sees this as a violation of an agreement that the French press and Google reached back in 2022. After lengthy negotiations, the company committed to paying for the use of journalistic content. The agreement was renewed last year. Previously, the French competition authority had fined Google €250 million for violating the relevant regulations.
Publishers emphasize that they are not fundamentally opposed to the use of artificial intelligence. “Publishers do not want to hinder innovation,” the association explained. “They are simply demanding that this added value be shared and that they receive compensation for the use of their content.”
From the media industry’s perspective, this development exacerbates a problem that has existed for years. With the shift of advertising to the internet, many media companies have lost significant revenue, while large tech companies control a considerable portion of the digital advertising market. AI-powered search functions could further increase the pressure on publishers, as users receive answers directly on the search results page and no longer need to visit the original websites. However, some websites do indeed benefit from AI visibility.
The use of AI applications is also increasingly the subject of legal disputes. In June, a ruling by the Munich Regional Court attracted attention. According to the ruling, Google is liable for false information that may appear in its AI overview .
