The U.K. has mandated that Google provide publishers with the ability to opt out of being included in AI search features. Google announced it will comply with the new regulations, which require the company to offer a toggle in its Search Console for website owners to manage their presence in AI search results. Once opted out, publishers’ sites will not be featured in Google’s generative AI search tools, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google noted that AI Overviews now has over 2.5 billion monthly active users, and AI Mode has surpassed one billion monthly users. The opt-out feature will initially be tested with a subset of U.K. publishers before a global rollout.
Publishers will also have to ensure their content is properly attributed in AI features, with clear links provided. Google claims it is complying with this requirement, stating it has increased inline links in AI responses and added website previews to encourage user engagement. The company emphasized that opting out of generative AI search features will not impact traditional Google search rankings. However, new metrics will be introduced in Search Console to help publishers understand their visibility in AI responses, including impression data and country-specific insights. Additional metrics are expected over time.
The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) described the regulation as a “world first,” giving publishers greater control over how their content is used. The CMA had previously designated Google as having “strategic market status,” setting the stage for future regulations. In January, the authority asked Google to allow publishers to choose whether their content is aggregated into AI search features or used to train standalone AI models. The new opt-out mechanism is part of ongoing efforts to balance innovation with content rights.
Source: techcrunch
