UK regulators push Google on AI Overviews opt-out for publishers

UK authorities are ramping up pressure on Google to change how its services work, with the stated aim of giving consumers and businesses more choice and strengthening protections for content creators in the generative AI era. A central issue is Google’s AI Overviews and how publisher content may be surfaced (and potentially repurposed) inside AI-driven experiences.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has put forward proposals that would let publishers opt out in two distinct ways:

  • Opt out of inclusion in Google’s AI Overviews
  • Opt out of having their material used to train separate AI models

That distinction matters. It implies regulators are thinking beyond “search results” and into how content is used downstream—both for on-SERP AI summaries and for model development. If implemented, these options could materially shift leverage back toward content owners by creating clearer, enforceable boundaries around what can be used for generative AI features and training.

Proposed CMA changes: publisher choice, AI controls, and content protection

The CMA’s framing is explicitly about rebalancing power between platforms and content owners. The proposed opt-out mechanisms signal a move toward clearer consent and usage controls, rather than leaving publishers to navigate a patchwork of settings, ambiguous defaults, or all-or-nothing participation.

In practical terms, an opt-out framework could create a more standardized way for publishers to say:

  • “Index my pages, but don’t use them in AI Overviews,” or
  • “Use my pages for discovery, but don’t use them for AI model training.”

That would mark a significant change in how AI-driven discovery products operate—especially if publishers can withhold AI usage while still maintaining visibility in conventional search experiences.

Search transparency and switching defaults: the CMA’s parallel demands

Alongside AI oversight, the CMA is also pushing for two additional shifts:

  • More transparency in search rankings
  • Simpler ways for users to switch to alternative search engines

This points to long-running concerns about Google’s dominance in online discovery. The CMA’s focus isn’t only on generative AI features—it’s also about the mechanics of market power: how ranking works and how easy it is for users to choose competing services.

In combination, these proposals suggest a broader regulatory strategy: protect creators in AI contexts while reducing friction that keeps users locked into a single discovery ecosystem.

Google’s response: discovery value, evolving behavior, and “existing controls”

Google’s response is cautious. It argues that user behavior is changing quickly and positions AI Overviews as a feature designed to help people discover “new and relevant content.” That’s a key claim: AI summaries aren’t framed as a replacement for publishers, but as a discovery layer that can route attention outward.

Google also says it already provides publishers with controls and that it’s considering additional options that would allow sites to opt out of generative AI features. The subtext here is important: Google is acknowledging the demand for more granular controls, while not committing (in this context) to the exact form of CMA-proposed opt-outs.

Google halts YouTube vs TV viewing comparison in the UK

In a separate flashpoint, Google has intervened to stop a UK initiative intended to measure YouTube viewing alongside traditional TV and streaming platforms. The move highlights rising tension between major platforms and established audience measurement systems—especially when methodologies designed for broadcast-like environments are applied to platform-native ecosystems.

The intervention came via a legal cease-and-desist letter sent to Kantar Media, which forced the suspension of its joint project with Barb (the UK’s official TV ratings body). The project had launched only months earlier, making the shutdown feel less like a slow policy disagreement and more like a hard stop.

What the measurement project aimed to do

The service was positioned as a major step forward in audience measurement. The idea was to apply the same methodology used for linear TV and streaming services to evaluate YouTube channels on television screens.

That detail matters because it’s explicitly about measuring YouTube consumption in a living-room context—where YouTube increasingly competes with traditional broadcasters and premium streaming services for attention, ad budgets, and “share of screen time.”

Why Google objected: terms of service, data use, and creator attribution

Google’s objections focused on how data was being accessed and used. The company said the approach violated YouTube’s terms of service, particularly around attribution of views to individual creators.

Sources familiar with the matter also noted another concern: whether the service accurately captured YouTube viewing patterns. But the formal challenge centered on:

  • Use of creator content
  • Use of platform APIs
  • How views were attributed and reported

This dispute sits at a sensitive intersection: measurement providers want independent, comparable metrics across TV, streaming, and platforms; platforms want to control how their data is accessed, interpreted, and commercialized—especially where creator-level reporting is involved.

What this signals for cross-media measurement in the UK

Even without broader details, the implication is clear: aligning YouTube measurement with TV-style methodologies is not only technically complex, it’s politically and commercially contested. When measurement expands into platform territory, terms-of-service enforcement becomes a powerful lever—capable of shutting down third-party initiatives quickly.

UK advertising spend jumps, with VOD forecast to lead growth

The UK advertising market is expanding sharply, according to the Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report. In Q3 2025, UK ad spend increased 11.4% to reach £12.5bn, despite what the source describes as a challenging economic backdrop.

For the full year, total advertising investment is estimated at £46.9bn (up 10.1%), with forecasts pointing to spend exceeding £50bn in 2026—a psychological and commercial milestone for the market.

Digital dominance: 83% of total UK ad spend

Digital channels continued to dominate, accounting for 83% of total expenditure in Q3. Within that:

  • Search and online display grew 14.6% year on year

That growth rate reinforces how central performance and scalable digital reach remain to UK media strategies, even as marketers diversify formats and experiment with new inventory types.

2026 outlook: total spend above £50bn and VOD growth of 13.8%

AA/WARC forecasts 7.5% growth in 2026, pushing total UK ad spend beyond £50bn for the first time.

The strongest growth is expected from TV VOD, forecast at 13.8%, supported by the FIFA World Cup and other major events. The report also expects continued expansion across digital formats including:

  • search
  • online display
  • online radio

In other words, VOD is positioned as the headline growth engine, while digital stalwarts continue to scale.

Q&A

1) What does an AI Overview opt-out for publishers actually change?

It would allow publishers to stop their content being included in AI Overviews and potentially block use for training separate AI models, creating clearer control over how their material is used in generative AI features.

2) Why was the UK YouTube vs TV viewing comparison suspended?

Google sent a cease-and-desist letter to Kantar Media, stating the approach violated YouTube’s terms of service—especially around how data was accessed and how views were attributed to individual creators.

3) What’s driving UK ad growth, and which channel is expected to grow fastest?

UK ad spend rose strongly in Q3 2025, with digital taking 83% of spend. Looking ahead, TV VOD is forecast to deliver the strongest growth in 2026 at 13.8%, supported by major events like the FIFA World Cup.