U.K. Publishers Win as the CMA Rules they Can Opt Out of Google AI Search
In Focus
- Google controls about 90% of U.K.’s online search market
- Publishers have experienced a drop in online traffic due to Google AI Search
- Google is testing controls in Search Console to allow publishers to opt out of AI Search
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced that publishers in the U.K. can opt out of Google AI search results. According to the competition regulator, the decision allows publishers to negotiate how Google uses their content.
“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 organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google,” CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell noted in a statement by the U.K. agency.
Why Publishers Want to Opt Out of Google AI Overviews
Google controls about 90% of Britain’s online search market and was designated with the Strategic Market Status (SMS) in October 2025.. Most websites and new publishers rely on its search results to drive traffic to their websites.
Many businesses have reported a significant drop in online traffic since Google introduced AI Overviews. After introducing AI in Search, Google shifted links to other websites down the search results page and now displays AI-generated summaries at the top.
Increasingly, users are switching from conventional search engines to AI chatbots that generate responses from content published on other sites. This further reduces traffic flow to publisher websites. Recently, Google introduced an Intelligent Search Box that expands to accommodate longer queries. The new Search Box gives users access to AI tools that enable them to ask questions with ease.
How Will Google Facilitate AI Search Opt Out in the U.K?
In a move to address this issue, the tech giant has introduced new controls in its Search Console. The new features, which the company is currently testing, are designed to allow publishers to opt out of Google AI.
Google is testing the new controls in Search Console in the U.K. first before expanding them globally. The tech company is also engaging British regulators to ensure publishers access the right tools as their preferences change.
The search giant introduced the Google AI search publisher controls months after the CMA proposed an opt-out feature on Overviews to give users an informed choice. Google has nine months to roll out the necessary changes outlined by the CMA as part of its conduct requirements.
What Happens if a Website Opts Out of AI Overviews?
Google said publishers who opt out of AI Overviews will not receive impressions or traffic from its AI Search features. The company added that the new controls will not serve as a ranking factor in search results outside its AI-powered Search tools.
The U.K. regulator insisted that Google must provide appropriate attribution, including links to original source, for publisher content appearing in AI Overviews.
