The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is proposing measures to give web publishers more control over how their content is used in Google's AI Overviews. The CMA aims to provide a fairer deal, especially for news organizations. These actions follow Google's designation as having "strategic market status" for search under the Digital Market Act, allowing for regulatory oversight.

One key proposal allows publishers to opt out of their content being used in AI Overviews or for training AI models. Google would also need to properly attribute publisher content. Other measures include fair search result rankings for businesses and a "choice screen" for alternative search options. The goal is to give UK businesses and consumers more control over Google's search services.

Google responded by stating it's exploring updates to let sites opt out of generative AI features. They emphasized the need to avoid a fragmented search experience. The company, however, expressed optimism about meeting the CMA's requirements. This follows concerns raised by Google that similar measures in the EU have negatively impacted businesses.

This move by the UK reflects a broader trend of regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech and its use of content for AI. The EU has already taken steps to regulate how these companies use content. The outcome of these negotiations could reshape how news organizations and other publishers interact with Google and other AI-powered search tools.