Regulatory Authority Intervenes in Google's AI Summaries

The Regulatory Authority has taken action in response to concerns that Google's artificial intelligence summaries on search result pages may decrease visitor traffic and revenues for news sites. An investigation has been initiated against Google, with temporary measures implemented to protect the economic rights of news publishers regarding the usage of their content. The Regulatory Authority is examining whether the AI Overviews and AI Mode features offered in Google Search violate Article 6 of Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition.

The preliminary investigation, launched on August 27, 2026, evaluates how AI services affect users' information access habits and whether they negatively impact traffic directed towards news publishers and other content producers. The fairness of terms in content usage agreements between Google and publishers, as well as the potential exclusionary effects of AI services on other content creators and chat assistants, are also under scrutiny.

In its meeting on October 8, 2026, the Regulatory Authority decided on temporary measures regarding the use of publishers' content in AI services. This decision aims to allow publishers to opt out of having their content used in AI summaries without the risk of losing visibility in search results, independent of Google's other services. The measures aim to protect the digital media ecosystem and ensure publishers receive a fair share of the value generated from their content.

Under the temporary measures, Google must offer conditions that do not discriminate against news publishers and reflect the economic value of content usage. It also includes provisions for determining content usage agreements. The specific applications and commercial methods to comply with these measures will be left to Google's discretion. The company is expected to take steps that support both the media sector and user experience.

Reported by Donanim Haber.