Google's 'biggest AI Search feature' hit by complaint in EU: What the tech giant has to say
Google's AI Overviews provide AI-generated summaries that appear prominently at the top of search results, above traditional hyperlinks to relevant webpages. This feature is currently available to users in over 100 countries, with advertisements having been integrated into AI Overviews since last May.
The report says that while Google views the integration of AI into search as a major strategic move, it has ignited significant concern among some content providers, particularly publishers.
Who has filed the complaint and what Google has to say
The complaint, filed by the
Independent Publishers Alliance
and dated June 30, accuses Google of abusing its dominant market position in online search.
The document asserts that 'Google's core search engine service is misusing web content for Google's AI Overviews in Google Search, which have caused, and continue to cause, significant harm to publishers, including news publishers in the form of traffic, readership and revenue loss.'
The publishers argue that by placing its own AI-generated summaries – which are created using publisher material – at the top of search results, Google unfairly disadvantages their original content.
A key point of contention in the complaint is the alleged lack of choice for publishers.
'Publishers using Google Search do not have the option to opt out from their material being ingested for Google's AI large language model training and/or from being crawled for summaries, without losing their ability to appear in Google's general search results page,' the complaint states.
In response to the allegations, a Google spokesperson stated that the company sends billions of clicks to websites daily.
'New AI experiences in Search enable people to ask even more questions, which creates new opportunities for content and businesses to be discovered,' the spokesperson added.
Google Pixel 9 Pro After 1 Year: Still a Flagship Worth Buying in 2025? | Long-Term Review
AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
7 minutes ago
- Economic Times
India, US trade deal may backfire on EU exports if India opens door to GM feed: GTRI
GTRI cautions that allowing US GM farm products under a trade pact could harm India's agri exports to the EU due to strict GM labeling and consumer resistance. Cross-contamination risks from India's weak agri-logistics could lead to shipment rejections and damage India's GMO-free image. Currently, India only allows Bt cotton cultivation and imports of GM soybean and canola oil. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Also Read: India and Trump are haggling over the same constituency Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads India risks losing its export competitiveness in the European market if it allows genetically modified (GM) animal feed imports from the United States under the upcoming trade deal, according to the Global Trade Research Initiative ( GTRI ). The economic think tank issued a cautionary statement on Saturday, highlighting the impact such a move could have on India's agricultural shipments to key markets like the European Union (EU), known for its strict stance on genetically modified and the US are currently negotiating an interim trade pact, which is expected to be announced before July 9. Among the proposals being considered is the import of GM-derived products such as soybean meal and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a by-product made during ethanol production, usually from corn or other grains, for use in animal founder Ajay Srivastava said the consequences of such imports could be severe for India's agri-export sector, especially when it comes to European buyers who maintain strong resistance to GM-linked products. While GM feed is technically permitted in the EU, many European consumers prefer fully GM-free supply chains, and the region enforces stringent GM labelling warned that India's fragmented agricultural logistics network and absence of proper segregation systems increase the risk of cross-contamination. This could lead to trace GM presence in export consignments, potentially triggering shipment rejections and additional testing expenses. More importantly, it could damage India's image as a GMO-free supplier in sensitive segments such as rice, tea, honey, spices, and organic foods."This could lead to shipment rejections, higher testing costs, and erosion of India's GMO-free image, especially in sensitive sectors like rice, tea, honey, spices, and organic foods. Without robust traceability and labeling systems, GM feed imports could hurt India's export competitiveness in the EU," Srivastava described genetically modified crops as plants that have been engineered by introducing specific genes—often from bacteria, viruses, other plants, or in some cases, animals—into their DNA to give them traits such as pest resistance or tolerance to herbicides. For example, the BT gene from the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis allows the plant to produce a protein toxic to specific insects. Genes from soil bacteria have also been used to help plants survive clarified that although GM crops are biologically plant-based and considered vegetarian, the presence of animal-origin genes in some crops might pose issues for communities or individuals with strict religious or ethical interpretations of added that studies suggest GM DNA breaks down during digestion and does not enter the animal's meat, milk, or other produce. "Therefore, foods like milk or chicken are not classified as GM, even if the animals were fed GM feed. However, critics argue that this blurs the line for consumers who wish to avoid GM-associated products entirely," he whether farmers can reuse seeds from genetically modified crops, Srivastava said GM seeds are usually not reusable for both legal and biological reasons. They are often patented and sold with contracts that forbid saving and replanting. Additionally, many GM crops are hybrids, and seeds collected from them generally perform poorly when reused. He pointed out that in India, Bt cotton is the only GM crop officially approved for cultivation. Though some farmers have attempted to reuse Bt cotton seeds, the results have typically been said contamination risks persist globally, as GM and non-GM crops can mix at various stages including transport, storage, and to GTRI, India maintains a cautious stance on GM crops. Currently, only Bt cotton is approved for cultivation, and no GM food crop has received commercial approval, though field trials are ongoing. The country allows imports of genetically modified soybean oil and canola oil, but does not permit imports of GM grains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, or other food and feed feed materials like soybean meal and DDGS remain banned, Srivastava said.(with PTI inputs)
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
EU sticks with timeline for AI rules
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS: The European Union's landmark rules on artificial intelligence will be rolled out according to the legal timeline in the legislation, the European Commission said on Friday, dismissing calls from some companies and countries for a pause. Google owner Alphabet, Facebook owner Meta and other U.S. companies as well as European businesses such as Mistral and ASML have in recent days urged the Commission to delay the AI Act by years. "I've seen, indeed, a lot of reporting, a lot of letters and a lot of things being said on the AI Act. Let me be as clear as possible, there is no stop the clock. There is no grace period. There is no pause," Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told a press conference. "We have legal deadlines established in a legal text. The provisions kicked in February, general purpose AI model obligations will begin in August, and next year, we have the obligations for high risk models that will kick in in August 2026," he said. The Commission plans to propose steps to simplify its digital rules towards the end of the year, such as cutting back on reporting obligations for small companies. Some companies have voiced concerns about the compliance costs and tough requirements of the AI rules, which aim to set guardrails on a technology key to multiple sectors of the economy and currently led by the United States and China.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
US plans AI chip curbs on Malaysia, Thailand over China concerns
President Donald Trump's administration plans to restrict shipments of AI chips from the likes of Nvidia Corp. to Malaysia and Thailand, part of an effort to crack down on suspected semiconductor smuggling into China. A draft rule from the Commerce Department seeks to prevent China — to which the US has effectively banned sales of Nvidia's advanced AI processors — from obtaining those components through intermediaries in the two Southeast Asian nations, according to people familiar with the matter. The rule is not yet finalised and could still change, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. Officials plan to pair the Malaysia and Thailand controls with a formal rescission of global curbs from the so-called AI diffusion rule, the people said. That framework from the end of President Joe Biden's term drew objections from US allies and tech companies, including Nvidia. Washington would maintain semiconductor restrictions targeting China — imposed in 2022 and ramped up several times since — as well as more than 40 other countries covered by a 2023 measure, which Biden officials designed to address smuggling concerns and increase visibility into key markets. All told, the regulation would mark the first formal step in Trump's promised overhaul of his predecessor's AI diffusion approach — after the Commerce Department said in May that it would supplant that Biden rule with its own 'bold, inclusive strategy.' But the draft measure is far from a comprehensive replacement, the people said. It doesn't answer, for example, questions about security conditions for the use of US chips in overseas data centres — a debate with particularly high stakes for the Middle East. It's unclear whether Trump officials may ultimately regulate AI chip shipments to a wider swath of countries, beyond the Malaysia and Thailand additions. The Commerce Department didn't respond to a request for comment. The agency has offered few specifics about its regulatory vision beyond what Secretary Howard Lutnick told lawmakers last month: The US will 'allow our allies to buy AI chips, provided they're run by an approved American data center operator, and the cloud that touches that data center is an approved American operator,' he said during congressional testimony. Nvidia, the dominant maker of AI chips, declined to comment, while spokespeople for the Thai and Malaysian governments didn't respond. Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang has previously said there's 'no evidence' of AI chip diversion, in general remarks that didn't touch on any particular country. In response to earlier Bloomberg queries about curbs focused on smuggling risks, Thailand said it's awaiting details, while Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry said clear and consistent policies are essential for the tech sector. Washington officials for years have debated which countries should be able to import American AI chips — and under what conditions. On one hand, the world wants Nvidia hardware, and US policymakers want the world to build AI systems using American technology — before China can offer a compelling alternative. On the other, once those semiconductors leave American and allied shores, US officials worry the chips could somehow make their way to China, or that Chinese AI companies could benefit from remote access to data centres outside the Asian country. Southeast Asia is a key focus. Companies including Oracle Corp. are investing aggressively in data centres in Malaysia, and trade data shows that chip shipments there have surged in recent months. Under pressure from Washington, Malaysian officials have pledged to closely scrutinise those imports, but the Commerce Department's draft rule indicates the US still has concerns. Semiconductor sales to Malaysia also are a focal point of a court case in neighbouring Singapore, where prosecutors have charged three men with defrauding customers about the ultimate destination of AI servers — originally shipped from the island nation to Malaysia — that may have contained advanced Nvidia chips. (Nvidia is not the subject of Singapore's investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing.) The export curbs on Malaysia and Thailand would include several measures to ease pressure on companies with significant business operations there, people familiar with the matter said. One provision would allow firms headquartered in the US and a few dozen friendly nations to continue shipping AI chips to both countries, without seeking a license, for a few months after the rule is published, people familiar with the matter said. The license requirements also would still include certain exemptions to prevent supply chain disruptions, the people said. Many semiconductor companies rely on Southeast Asian facilities for crucial manufacturing steps like packaging, the process of encasing chips for use in devices.
