The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (Competition and Markets Authority) has introduced binding rules requiring Google to give news publishers greater control over how their content is used in generative artificial intelligence systems.
The measure, called the Publisher Conduct Requirement (Publisher CR), follows the regulator’s designation of Google in October 2025 as holding Strategic Market Status in general search services, a classification that allows the CMA to impose targeted obligations on dominant firms.
A draft of the requirement was published on 28 January 2026, followed by consultation with publishers, industry groups and technology companies. The final 47-page decision was issued on 3 June 2026.
The CMA said publishers had raised concerns over how material collected by Google’s search crawler was being used in generative AI tools.
According to the regulator, publishers reported three main issues: limited ability to prevent use of their content in AI systems; limited transparency over how their material was being used; and inconsistent attribution when content appeared in AI-generated outputs.
The Publisher CR sets out three main requirements:
1. Control over AI use of content
Google must provide tools allowing publishers to opt out of their content being used in generative AI systems. This includes use in model training, fine-tuning, and retrieval-augmented generation. Controls must operate at both directory and individual page level. Publishers who opt out must not be penalised in search rankings.
2. Transparency requirements
Google must provide publishers with information on how their content is used in generative AI features, including engagement metrics. It must also publish explanations of its use of publisher content.
3. Attribution standards
Google must take reasonable steps to ensure publisher content used in AI outputs is clearly attributed, with links to original sources made accessible to users.
Consultation process
During consultation, publishers and trade bodies called for more detailed opt-out controls and stronger reporting obligations. Google raised concerns that granular controls could be technically complex and that separating different types of AI use could create operational issues.
The CMA confirmed it had strengthened aspects of the draft, including explicit inclusion of fine-tuning within scope and a requirement that controls be effective and efficient. However, it did not adopt proposals for a bespoke attribution complaints system or highly granular per-feature controls.
Google will be required to implement the measures within a compliance period set by the CMA. The regulator will monitor implementation and can take enforcement action if necessary. The requirement will remain under review and may be updated in response to changes in AI search systems.
The CMA said the measures are intended to ensure publishers can make informed decisions about the use of their content and to address competition concerns in the search and AI markets.
The regulator said the framework is designed to improve control, transparency and attribution in the use of publisher material within AI-driven search services.
Further updates to Google’s search products, including expanded AI features announced in May 2026, will also be subject to ongoing regulatory scrutiny.
