The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority announced that online publishers can choose to opt out of appearing in the AI Overviews of Google search results.
Announced late last week, the new rule is now mandated to allow publishers to gain more control over the use of AI. Google, considered the leading search engine in tech, reportedly needs to give publishers more of a say in how their content is used.
Since the implementation of AI Overviews, multiple sites have noted a decrease in click-through rates as users rely strictly on information presented to them through AI Overview.
Anyone who opts out of appearing in AI Overview and AI Mode will not receive any traffic from the latest features, Google said in a blog post. Regular search results, however, will not be impacted.
Although Google has already announced plans to release publisher insights and add more links to AI responses, the CMA is requesting that Google explicitly clarify that its information comes from publishers and provide clear links for users.
Google will reportedly have nine months to make the changes and will be required to provide statistics about how it’s upholding the newest requirements.
“We have introduced a world‑first requirement on Google’s search services in the UK, enabling fair treatment, greater transparency and meaningful choice for businesses and consumers,” said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell in a statement. “We’ll also continue to use the unique flexibility of the UK regime to monitor and address future concerns as they arise and we will be announcing further action in relation to Google’s search business in the coming weeks.”
The changes to Google come as the CMA continues to address the role of the U.S.-based search engine in the U.K.’s search market.
As of 2026, Google is overwhelmingly dominant, controlling approximately 91% of the global search market.
Previous reports found that Google processes over 40,000 searches a second, amounting to 3.5 billion searches a day. The number is expected to have increased as Google’s usage has expanded. As of 2026, an estimated 4.9 billion people use Google. Since 2024, Bing has been considered the second-largest search engine in the market, but it is still used far less than Google. Only approximately 3.64% of the market share goes to Bing.
Other search engines in the market include Yahoo and Baidu. Both of these engines capture just over 1% of the market.
