Google ordered to put clearer links in AI search and let UK publishers opt out
Ars Technica AI · Jon Brodkin · 2026-06-03
The UK Competition and Markets Authority ordered Google to add clear attribution links to publishers in AI-generated search results and provide a first-of-its-kind opt-out mechanism, barring Google from penalizing publishers who choose to exclude their content from AI features.
Extraction
Topics: ai-regulationsearch-aipublisher-rightsuk-cmagoogle
Claims
- The UK CMA has ordered Google to provide clearer attribution and clickable links to source publishers within AI-generated search results.
- Publishers will gain the legal right to opt their content out of Google's AI search features such as AI Overviews.
- Google is prohibited from downranking or otherwise penalizing publishers in general search results for opting out of AI features.
- Google has nine months to comply with the full order, with key publisher controls expected to arrive before that deadline.
- The CMA describes this as a world first: regulatory tools allowing publishers to prevent AI search from using their content.
Key quotes
In a world first, publishers will now have effective tools to prevent their content being used to power AI features in search, such as AI Overviews.
This will put publishers, like news organizations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google.