US and Canadian press call on Google to stop expanding AI search service

Focusing on Google’s new AI Overviews feature, the letter notes that Google is misappropriating the assets and investments of news organizations and other digital media, and “starving” publishers of traffic, by encouraging users to stay on their platforms rather than clicking through to see the original source directly.

The News Media Alliance (NMA) is a trade association representing approximately 2,000 newspapers and other news organizations in the United States and Canada.

Google Search's AI Overviews feature will answer questions, even breaking news, causing readers to no longer go to original news sources. Google screenshot

Google's innovative Search Experience (SGE) service, which was first introduced on May 10, 2023, and rolled out nationwide on May 14, 2024, uses news organizations' content to create comprehensive “AI Overviews” answers to user questions.

This means that Google is “rehashing” original sources, including journalistic content, and then using it to respond to users, thereby arguably violating copyright, while also causing no readers to visit original sources and causing news publishers to lose revenue.

“Google is known as the world's dominant search engine, and the Department of Justice has demonstrated at trial how Google illegally monopolized that market,” the News Media Alliance letter to the FTC and DOJ said.

“Now, Google is abusing its power in search to use publisher content – ​​without payment or permission – to power Google AI Overview and its other GenAI products to eliminate competition.”

“Google claims this new product will drive traffic, but one of many studies estimates that 90% of users will never leave Google search results if they have an answer ready,” said Danielle Coffey, president and CEO of NMA.

“Cutting the bridge between publishers and readers, and preventing publishers from monetizing their content, will inevitably lead to further degradation of the vital news and journalism ecosystem that Americans want and need.”

Additionally, by taking away the need for users to visit, Google’s “AI Overview” has significantly reduced publishers’ ability to monetize content through ads, subscriptions, and affiliates, with the money instead flowing into Google’s pockets.

The letter also raises Google’s recently enacted “Site Reputation Abuse” policy, which has aggressively removed publisher discount services as well as sports betting, lottery, and gaming content from Google Search results, harming not only publishers but also the millions of readers and businesses that rely on them.

Hoang Hai (according to NMA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bao-chi-my-va-canada-keu-goi-google-ngung-mo-rong-dich-vu-tim-kiem-ai-post297347.html