⚖️ EU Files Antitrust Complaint Over Google’s AI Overviews—What it Means for Creators & Businesses

By Gulam Sibtain | July 4, 2025

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A coalition of independent publishers has filed a formal **antitrust complaint with the EU** over Google’s AI Overviews feature, which provides summaries at the top of search results—potentially draining readership and ad revenue from their sites 1.

📉 Traffic Decline & Zero-Click Surge

Since May 2024, reporting shows **37 out of the top 50 U.S. news sites** suffered noticeable traffic drops. Meanwhile, zero-click searches—where users get answers without visiting websites—jumped from **56% to 69%** by May 2025 2.

📰 Publishers Demand Change

• Groups like Movement for an Open Web and Foxglove Legal argue Google formats these overviews to favor its own AI rather than linking back to original content.
• They’re demanding Google let publishers **opt out** of AI Overviews without search rank penalties.
• The complaint seeks urgent **interim measures** from the European Commission to halt damage 3.

💬 Google’s Response

Google defends AI Overviews, saying the summaries drive “billions of daily clicks” and support discovery—but admits traffic changes could stem from seasonality or algorithm updates 4.

🌍 Global Ripple Effects

• The complaint echoes issues raised in the **U.S. antitrust case vs. Google** and similar scrutiny from the **UK’s CMA** 5.
• It highlights a pivotal shift: **AI-generated answers vs. traditional web traffic**.
• It may shape future rules around **AI monetization**, content ownership, and transparency.

✅ What Creators & Marketers Should Do

• Use **schema markup**, so AI tools know precisely what to source and credit.
• Craft **original, in-depth content**—AI often strips nuance from long-form pieces.
• Track referral traffic regularly to detect and adapt to dips caused by AI summaries.
• Consider licensing or syndication partnerships with AI platforms for visibility.

💼 Capture Leads from Concerned Clients

Are you a publisher or business affected by rising zero-click search traffic? Fill out this form and our team will help you optimize your content strategy and AI-readiness:

👉 Learn more about our services at htechglobal.co.in

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Tags:
AI Overviews Google Antitrust Digital Marketing SEO Strategy

Gulam Sibtain

Digital Marketing & Web Dev Expert | HTech Global

💬 What Do You Think?

Are AI summaries harming your content's traffic? Share your experience below!

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