Britain's CMA Orders Google AI Search Changes, Requiring Links and Opt-Outs for UK Publishers
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 20
Britain's CMA Orders Google AI Search Changes, Requiring Links and Opt-Outs for UK Publishers
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 20
Summary
Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority last month ordered Google to change its AI search tools in the UK, requiring clear source links in chatbot answers and giving website operators a way to opt out of AI summaries.
Google is making those changes across search globally after publishers argued AI Mode keeps users inside Google instead of sending them to outside sites.
75% of AI Mode sessions in one October study ended without users leaving for the web, while Google says it still sends billions of clicks weekly and disputes traffic-decline studies as flawed.
Cloudflare said more than 50% of web traffic is now nonhuman, and human visits to finance, publishing and retail sites fell nearly 40% between June 2025 and April 2026.
The traffic squeeze is already reshaping publishers and reference sites: Wikimedia reported an 8% drop in human visitors, and Vox Media cited search-traffic decimation before selling several sites in June.
Google's AI promises instant answers, but is the hidden cost the death of the diverse and open web?
If AI answers eliminate website clicks, how will creators and businesses survive the new 'zero-click' internet?
With AI now controlling information flow, who will ensure the answers we receive are unbiased and trustworthy?
61% Decline in Search Clicks: UK CMA Forces Google to Let Publishers Control AI Use of Content
Overview
In June 2026, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued a landmark order requiring Google to give publishers new control over how their content is used in AI features. This order introduced opt-out rights, letting publishers decide if their content appears in AI-generated summaries or responses. Google responded by announcing new search controls for website owners, with the UK as the first testing ground before a global rollout. These changes aim to increase transparency and give publishers more power over their content in the evolving digital landscape shaped by AI.