UK publishers and news organisations will be able to block their content from appearing in Google’s AI-generated search summaries under new rules announced by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The decision gives media owners more control over how their journalism is used in AI search products, while keeping their visibility in traditional Google search results.
As The Guardian reports, publishers had previously been unable to opt out of Google’s AI summaries without also withdrawing from standard search listings.
What has changed for publishers?
The CMA said the new requirement would “put publishers, like news organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google”.
The change follows complaints from media companies that AI summaries at the top of search results have reduced click-through traffic to publisher websites. For publishers, fewer clicks can mean lower advertising and subscription revenue.
The CMA said Google must also ensure publisher content is properly attributed in AI-generated search results, using clear links. The regulator said the measure is designed to improve trust for users and give publishers more bargaining power.
Google to test new controls
Google said it will begin testing a new control with a subset of UK-based media sites from Wednesday, 3 June 2026.
The tool will allow website owners to manage how their links and content appear in Google’s AI search features, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google said it plans to roll the controls out globally after testing.
Mrinalini Loew, general manager at Google Search Ecosystem, said Google was engaging with regulators such as the CMA “to ensure website owners have the right tools as user preferences evolve”.
Loew said: “We are beginning to roll these features out to a subset of website owners in the UK, allowing for thorough testing before rolling them out to website owners globally.”
She added that the control would not be used as a ranking signal for search results outside Google’s generative AI search features.
Why the ruling matters
Google accounts for more than 90 per cent of general searches in the UK, according to the CMA. That dominance means publishers have long relied on Google search to reach audiences.
The watchdog said the measures form part of its broader work under the UK’s digital markets competition regime. The CMA previously designated Google as having strategic market status in general search services.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “It is crucial that content publishers, including news organisations, have appropriate bargaining power over how their content is used.”
Cardell described the move as a “world-first requirement on Google’s search services in the UK” that would support “fair treatment, greater transparency and meaningful choice for businesses and consumers”.
Publisher groups welcome the move
The News Media Association, which represents UK news publishers, said the decision was a “significant step towards levelling the playing field and building a fair, transparent digital economy where premium content is properly respected and fairly compensated”.
Tom Smith, competition lawyer at Geradin Partners and a former CMA director, said the changes would help publishers retain some control over how Google uses their work.
“The CMA should be congratulated for tackling this issue. They are aiming to open up competition on the key digital platforms,” Smith said.
The CMA said it will make further announcements related to Google’s search business in the coming weeks.