The United Kingdom has introduced new legal restrictions on Google's artificial intelligence search expansion. On Wednesday, Google confirmed it is complying with U.K. regulatory demands, which require the tech giant to provide publishers with a method for opting out of having their content included in AI-generated search results. To exercise this option, publishers can use a newly added toggle in Google's Search Console, a free tool that enables website owners to manage their site's visibility in Google search results. Once a publisher opts out, their site will no longer appear in Google's generative AI search features, such as AI Overviews, AI Mode, or AI Overviews in Discover. (Unsurprisingly, Google highlights in the same announcement that its AI Overviews now serve over 2.5 billion monthly active users, while AI Mode has surpassed one billion monthly users.)

The company states it will initially test the opt-out feature with a select group of U.K. publishers before expanding it globally. The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) describes this move to restore publishers' control over their content usage as a "world first," noting that it will empower publishers—including news organizations—to negotiate more effectively with Google regarding content deals for AI features. The CMA first designated Google as having "strategic market status" in October of last year, setting the stage for future regulations. In January, the authority pushed Google to give website publishers a choice about whether their content is incorporated into AI search features or used to train standalone AI models. Alongside the opt-out toggle, Google is now required to ensure that publisher content in AI features is properly attributed with clear links. Google indicates it is already complying, pointing out that it has recently increased the number of inline links within its AI responses and added website previews to encourage user clicks.

Google notes that a website's decision to opt out of generative AI search features will not affect its ranking in traditional Google search. However, the company plans to introduce new metrics in Search Console to potentially influence publishers considering opting out, including impression data and information about which pages appear in AI responses, along with their geographic distribution. Google says additional metrics will be added over time.