UK Pushes Back: New Proposal Lets Websites Refuse Google’s AI Search

Britain has signaled that it’s no longer willing to let Google call all the shots when it comes to online search and the booming world of generative AI. A new proposal from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) aims to give publishers especially newsrooms the power to say no to Google’s AI Overviews scraping and summarizing their work.

And in a global environment where publishers from Johannesburg to London are fighting for their digital survival, this could be a turning point.

Why UK Publishers Are Fed Up

In the UK, as in South Africa, publishers have long argued that tech giants profit from journalism without paying for it. Google’s AI Overviews feature takes a user’s query and responds with an AI-generated summary, often built from publisher content. The problem is simple: the summary appears at the top of the page, and fewer people click through to the original article.

Less traffic means less advertising revenue. For local newsrooms already battling shrinking budgets, it hits hard.

The News Media Association didn’t mince words. Its chief executive said Google is “extracting valuable data without reward” and gaining an unfair advantage in the AI race. It’s a sentiment echoed across global media circles even in South Africa, where editors increasingly worry that AI summaries could collapse already fragile audience numbers.

What the CMA Wants to Change

Under the proposal, currently open for public comment until 25 February, the CMA wants to introduce a clear and enforceable opt-out system:

• Publishers should be able to block Google from using their content in AI Overviews.

• They should also be allowed to prevent their content from training Google’s AI models.

• Google will need to show exactly how it attributes sources in AI-generated answers.

It’s part of a wider shift toward tougher oversight. The CMA already classified Google as having “strategic market status” meaning it has outsized influence over what the public sees online. In the UK, Google controls more than 90 percent of all search queries, shaping everything from daily news consumption to where businesses advertise.

Google Tries To Keep the Middle Ground

The tech giant is clearly reading the room. A Google executive said the company is already working on new controls that would let sites opt out of its AI features. Still, Google added a warning: too many restrictions could break the user experience.

The company also hinted at fears of a patchwork search landscape where some websites appear in AI summaries and others don’t. Google says the goal is balance, not chaos.

What This Means For Readers And The Future Of Search

For users, especially those who prefer reliable sources in an age of misinformation, the CMA argues the new rules would help rebuild trust. It also wants Google to make it easier for people to switch default search engines and ensure rankings are fair and transparent.

The UK’s approach mirrors the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which has already forced tech giants to adjust their systems. If the UK pushes ahead, it could inspire similar moves in other countries grappling with AI’s rapid growth.

And yes the ripple effects will reach South Africa. Global publishers, including local outlets, have long hoped for stronger protections against AI scraping. If major markets start drawing lines, they create a precedent others can follow.

The Online Reaction

Social media reactions in the UK were a mix of relief and skepticism:

• Journalists celebrated what they called “a long-overdue correction.”

• Independent bloggers worried Google might simply reduce visibility for sites that opt out.

• Ordinary users debated whether they even trust AI summaries in the first place.

On X, one London editor wrote: “If AI wants our reporting, it must pay for it. Full stop.” Meanwhile tech commentators cautioned that regulations need to keep pace with fast-moving AI developments.

A Turning Point In The Fight For Media Survival

Google employs more than 7,000 people in the UK, and its search platform supports over 200,000 British businesses. Regulation won’t come without tension.

But the CMA insists that giving publishers more bargaining power is essential to maintaining a healthy, diverse media ecosystem. In an industry where every click counts, the ability to refuse AI extraction could mean the difference between survival and decline.

If the proposal passes, it won’t just reshape Google’s UK search function. It could reshape the entire global conversation about who controls online information and who gets paid for producing it.

{Source:EWN}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com