An Italian news publisher is urging an investigation into Google’s AI profile, asserting that the search engine’s AI-generated summary feature is a “traffic killer” that jeopardizes its survival. FIEG, the federation representing Italian newspapers, has formally lodged a complaint with Agcom, Italy’s communications watchdog.
Similar grievances have emerged in other EU countries. Coordinated by the European Newspaper Association, the initiative aims to prompt the European Commission to investigate Google under the EU Digital Services Act. One of the primary concerns for European news organizations is the threat posed by AI summaries, which condense search results into text blocks at the top of results pages, offering information without requiring users to click through to the original source.
FIEG expressed particular anxiety regarding newer AI models that gather information from various sources and present it as a chatbot. The federation argues that Google’s services “violate fundamental provisions of the Digital Services Act and negatively impact Italian users, consumers, and businesses.”
“Google is becoming a traffic killer,” FIEG stated, highlighting that these products not only compete directly with content from publishers but also “reduce visibility, discoverability, and ultimately advertising revenue.”
“This, along with the risks associated with a lack of transparency and the spread of disinformation in democratic discussions, poses serious challenges to the financial sustainability and diversity of the media,” the statement continued.
A study released in July by the UK-based analytics firm Authoritas indicated that Google’s AI Overviews, introduced last year, decreased click-through rates by as much as 80%. This study was submitted as part of a legal complaint to the UK competition regulator about the impact of Google AI Overview, which also revealed that links to YouTube—owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet—were more prominently displayed than in traditional search results.
A second study from the US think tank Pew Research Center showed a significant decline in referral traffic from Google AI Overview, with users only clicking on a link under AI Overview once in every 100 attempts. Google responded by claiming the study was based on inaccurate and flawed methodology.
Google AI Overview made its debut in Italy in March. In September, Italy became the first EU country to enact comprehensive legislation regulating artificial intelligence, including restrictions on access for children and potential prison sentences for harmful uses, such as generating deepfakes. Giorgia Meloni’s government asserted that the legislation aligns with the EU’s groundbreaking AI law and represents a decisive action that will shape the use of AI in Italy.
Source: www.theguardian.com
