This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
The European Commission has opened an antitrust investigation into Google (GOOGL, Financials) to determine whether the company is violating EU competition rules through its use of online content for artificial intelligence purposes. Regulators said Tuesday they are examining whether Google imposed unfair conditions on publishers and creators or granted itself preferential access to data used to build and improve AI models.
The Commission said it is concerned Google may have used material from web publishers to generate AI-powered search services without providing compensation or allowing publishers to refuse such use. Officials are also reviewing whether content uploaded to YouTube has been used to train Google’s generative AI systems without offering creators payment or an opt-out mechanism.
The probe adds pressure on Google as regulators worldwide evaluate how AI developers source and apply training data. It also comes as European lawmakers prepare to implement broader rules governing AI transparency and data rights.
Depending on what the inquiry finds, Google may have to pay penalties or modify how it does business. The regulators didn’t provide a deadline, but the results are likely to change how the EU watches how AI content is used in 2026.
