The European Union has launched a new competition investigation against Google due to the use of content in the field of artificial intelligence. The European Commission is examining whether Google has violated competition law while using content belonging to web publishers and YouTube content creators under its AI-based products, AI Overviews and AI Mode.
LANT
Dec 15, 2025
There are two main concerns at the center of the investigation. The first is that Google is gaining an unfair competitive advantage for its own artificial intelligence services by using content without permission or payment. The second is that while using video content obtained through YouTube to train Google's generative AI models, access to this content is effectively blocked for competing AI developers.
The European Commission is conducting the process not under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), but within the framework of traditional EU competition law. This indicates that the investigation is based not only on the status of a "gatekeeper" but also on a broader market impact analysis. As a result of the review, there is a risk of an administrative fine of up to 10% of Google's global annual revenue.
Google argues that the investigation could slow down innovation and emphasizes that it continues to work with publishers. In contrast, the European Commission believes that artificial intelligence innovation cannot develop at the expense of competition, fair markets, and the rights of content creators.
This file is an important threshold in the EU's approach to the artificial intelligence ecosystem. The discussion is no longer limited to data protection or ethical dimensions; it is now shaped by content ownership, competition law, and the sources that feed into artificial intelligence models. In the coming period, it will not be surprising if similar investigations spread to different platforms.
