Arlington, VA – Recent reporting by the Telegraph revealed that in its submission to the United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority, Google called news publishers “free riders.” In its submission, the tech giant argued against plans that would allow publishers to choose whether or not their content appears in Google’s AI overviews. Currently, Google requires publishers to allow their content to be used for AI purposes, or be delisted from Google search.
In response, Danielle Coffey, President and CEO of the News/Media Alliance, said, “Google calling us ‘free riders’ is obviously ridiculous and ignores basic supply chain economics. If the value were really all on their side, they would allow publishers to opt out and let the market test that claim. Google – an adjudicated monopoly – is using unlawful market power to obtain content and advantages it might not otherwise be able to secure.”
