EU Probes Google on AI Training Content Practices

The European Commission launched an antitrust investigation into Alphabet's Google on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, in Brussels, examining whether the company is abusing its dominant position by using online content from web publishers and YouTube creators to train its artificial intelligence models without proper compensation or opt-out options.

The probe focuses on Google's practices in developing AI-powered services, including AI Overviews, which generate summaries that appear above traditional search results in more than 100 countries, and AI Mode, which provides chatbot-style responses to user queries. Regulators are assessing if Google imposes unfair trading conditions on publishers by leveraging their content for these features without paying them adequately or allowing them to refuse participation. Publishers risk reduced visibility in Google Search if they decline, a dependency that many cannot afford given the platform's role in driving their traffic.

The investigation also targets Google's handling of YouTube content. Officials expressed concern that videos uploaded by users are being used to train generative AI models without compensation to creators or the ability to...