EU Launches Antitrust Inquiry Into Google’s AI Practices

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Tuesday, December 9th, 2025

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BRUSSELS, Dec. 9 — The European Commission has opened a major antitrust investigation into Google, examining whether the U.S. technology company violated European Union competition rules through its use of online content to train and deploy artificial intelligence (AI) services.
The Commission said the inquiry will assess whether Google relied on material from web publishers and its YouTube platform on unfair terms, particularly regarding compensation and consent. Regulators are reviewing claims that publishers cannot refuse the use of their content for AI training without risking reduced visibility on Google Search, placing them at a disadvantage.
The probe will also examine whether Google used videos and other user-generated content uploaded to YouTube to build and refine its AI models without compensating creators or allowing them to opt out, while at the same time preventing rival AI developers from accessing the same material. Such practices, if confirmed, could distort competition in the expanding AI sector, the Commission said.
EU officials underscored that the investigation will be treated as a priority, highlighting the growing importance of AI, data rights, and fair competition across the digital economy.
The move comes amid increased regulatory scrutiny of major U.S. technology firms in Europe. In recent months, the EU fined Google nearly 3 billion euros for advertising-related antitrust violations and launched a separate Digital Markets Act probe into the treatment of media content in search results. Brussels also opened formal proceedings against Meta and issued its first Digital Services Act non-compliance fines against X.
U.S. officials have criticized the EU’s regulatory measures, arguing they disproportionately