The European Commission has launched an antitrust investigation to verify whether Google has violated EU competition rules by using content from online publishers and videos uploaded to YouTube for the development of artificial intelligence. Brussels aims to ascertain whether Google has distorted competition by imposing unfair contractual conditions on publishers and content creators, or by granting itself privileged access to this content, with possible negative effects on the developers of competing AI models.
Improper use
The European Commission fears that Google has improperly used content from online publishers to power its own generative artificial intelligence services (‘AI Overviews’ and ‘AI Mode’) shown on search results pages, without offering publishers adequate remuneration and without allowing them to refuse the use of their content without losing access to the traffic coming from Google Search, on which many depend. Similar EU concerns also concern videos and other content uploaded to YouTube to train Google’s generative AI models, again without compensating the creators or allowing them to object. Anyone who uploads content to YouTube, Brussels highlights, is obliged to grant Google permission to also use it for AI training without receiving compensation.
Free access
«A free and democratic society is based on diverse media, free access to information and a dynamic creative landscape. These values are central to our identity as Europeans”, highlighted the Vice President of the EU Executive, Teresa Ribera, warning that “AI is bringing extraordinary innovations and many benefits to citizens and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles underlying our societies”. The antitrust investigation will be conducted with a priority procedure: if confirmed, the unfair practices would constitute an abuse of a dominant position.
Google’s comment
«This investigation risks hindering innovation in an increasingly competitive market. Europeans deserve to be able to benefit from the most advanced technologies and, for this reason, we will continue to work closely with the information and creative sectors to accompany them in the transition towards the era of artificial intelligence.” Thus a Google spokesperson on the antitrust investigation launched by the EU to verify whether the technological giant has violated EU competition rules by using the contents of online publishers and videos uploaded to YouTube for the development of artificial intelligence.