LONDON, March 18 - Google announced it is creating new controls within its search ecosystem that would enable websites to opt out of being included in its generative AI features. The company also put forward a proposal to introduce a less intrusive setting on users' devices to simplify changing the default search engine, an alternative it says would be preferable to frequent pop-up prompts.
The steps come as the UK’s competition authority has flagged concerns about Google's position in search services. In October, the regulator designated Google as having "strategic market status" in search services, a classification that allows the watchdog to consider interventions intended to safeguard effective competition in the sector.
Google handles more than 90% of search queries in the UK. The company uses content collected by its search crawler to power features such as AI Overviews and AI mode, in addition to standalone offerings including its Gemini AI assistant.
In January, the UK regulator set out a series of proposed actions aimed at expanding choice for both businesses and consumers. Those measures included options for publishers to opt out of having their content included in AI Overviews or used to train standalone AI models. The regulator also sought assurances that search result rankings are fair and transparent, and proposed steps to make it easier for people to select alternative search engines.
Publishers, notably news websites, have reported sharp declines in click-through rates as users increasingly rely on AI-generated overviews rather than following links to source sites.
Responding on the regulator's website, Google warned that some of the proposed conduct requirements would lead to "disproportionate and detrimental consequences" for users, publishers and businesses, and would impede its "ability to innovate and invest in the UK." The company said it will "continue to work constructively with the CMA to find practical solutions that benefit users, publishers, and businesses across the UK."
Context and implications
- Google's proposed device-level switch is framed as a less disruptive method to help users change their default search engine compared with frequent pop-ups.
- The opt-out control would apply to the generative AI features that rely on content gathered by Google's search crawler.
- The UK's competition designation and the regulator's January proposals have focused on publisher rights, ranking transparency, and user choice among search providers.