EU Launches Antitrust Probe Into Google’s AI Training Practices

The European Commission’s investigation, announced Tuesday, will scrutinize whether Google breached EU competition rules by using content from web publishers and YouTube creators to power services like AI Overviews and AI Mode. The central allegation is that this usage occurs “without appropriate compensation” and without giving publishers a meaningful right to refuse. According to the Commission’s statement, publishers face an ultimatum: either permit Google to use their content for AI-generated summaries without payment or risk losing visibility in Google Search, a potentially devastating consequence for traffic and revenue.

For YouTube creators, the dynamic is similarly one-sided. By uploading content to the platform, creators automatically grant Google rights to use that material for AI training, again without compensation. Crucially, while Google leverages this vast repository, rival AI developers are barred from accessing the same YouTube content, creating what regulators suspect is an unfair competitive moat. “The practices under investigation may give Google an unlawful competitive edge over rival AI developers across Europe,” the Commission warned, highlighting concerns that Google’s dominance in search and video is being unlawfully extended into the AI arena.

This investigation is not an isolated action but part of a concerted EU campaign to rein in the power of major technology firms, particularly as they race to dominate artificial intelligence. It comes less than a month after the Commission launched separate proceedings under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to assess whether Google applies fair conditions for access to publishers’ websites on its search engine. Furthermore, just last week, the regulator opened an investigation into Meta over policy changes that allow its own AI chatbot to operate on WhatsApp while allegedly blocking rivals from doing the same.

The EU’s recent history with Google underscores a pattern of aggressive enforcement. In September, the Commission fined Google €2.95 billion for breaching antitrust rules by favoring its own advertising technology services over competitors, ordering the company to end its self-preferencing practices. Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, framed the current AI probe within this wider context, stating, “AI is bringing remarkable innovation… but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies.” The sentiment analysis of the source material is decidedly negative, reflecting the Commission’s stern view of the alleged practices.

Legal expert Alex Chandra, partner at IGNOS Law Alliance, told Decrypt that the investigation “reflects a deeper, structural ambition: to subject globally scalable digital business models to the EU’s regulatory and competitive framework.” He cautioned, however, that the Commission must be disciplined and transparent to ensure the process is about “fair competition” rather than merely “favoring what fits European regulatory and economic priorities.” The probe has no set legal deadline but will be carried out “as a matter of priority.”

The outcome of this investigation could have profound implications for the development of AI in Europe and the business models of content creators. If proven, Google’s alleged practices may breach EU competition rules that prohibit dominant companies from using their market power to distort competition. A ruling against Google could force a fundamental restructuring of how it acquires training data, potentially mandating opt-in consent and fair compensation for publishers and creators. This would level the playing field for smaller AI developers who cannot access such vast, proprietary datasets.

For publishers and YouTube creators, the EU’s action represents a potential lifeline against what they perceive as coercive terms imposed by a gatekeeper. The investigation challenges the notion that visibility on a dominant platform like Google Search or YouTube should come at the cost of surrendering valuable intellectual property for AI training without remuneration. As the European Commission intensifies its scrutiny under both traditional antitrust rules and the new Digital Markets Act, the message to Google, Meta, and other tech giants is clear: the EU is determined to ensure that the race for AI supremacy is conducted within a framework of fair competition and respect for the rights of content originators.