Google will allow website owners in the UK to opt out of AI search results

Google is giving website owners the option to exclude their content from its AI-generated search features, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. The move follows a ruling by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), as Igor Bonifacic reports for Engadget and Imran Rahman-Jones reports for BBC News.

Google plans to add a toggle inside its Search Console that lets domain owners decide whether their pages appear in and help power AI search features. The company will first test the tool with a small group of website owners in the UK before rolling it out globally. Google has nine months to implement all required changes, though the CMA has asked for key parts to be in place sooner.

Leverage for publishers

The CMA described the requirement as a “world-first,” saying it would put publishers “in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google.” Publishers who opt out gain leverage to seek separate payment agreements for content used in AI results. The regulator also requires Google to properly attribute content that does appear in AI results, with clear links back to the original sources.

Google holds more than 90% of the UK online search market. Many publishers have reported a significant drop in traffic since Google began placing AI summaries at the top of its results pages, pushing links to third-party sites further down. Users have of course also shifted to standalone AI chatbots, which generate answers based on content scraped from websites.

CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said the ruling would result in “fair treatment, greater transparency and meaningful choice for businesses and consumers.” Theo Bamber, chief executive of the News Media Association, called it a “significant step” but added that strong political support would be needed to achieve fair payment for publisher content.

Google said sites that opt out will not receive traffic or impressions from its generative AI features, but stressed the decision will not affect how those sites rank in standard search results.

Sources

• UK publishers allowed to opt out of Google AI search results – BBC News
• Google will allow websites to exclude themselves from AI search results – Engadget