EU Launches Probe Into Google’s AI Training Data: Web & YouTube Content Under Microscope

Brussels takes aim at the tech giant's data-hungry algorithms.

The European Commission isn't buying the 'fair use' argument anymore. Regulators have officially opened an investigation into whether Google scraped content from across the web and its YouTube platform to train its AI models without proper permission. This isn't a minor compliance check—it's a full-blown antitrust probe with the potential for massive fines.

Why This Scrutiny Matters Now

AI development has become a brutal arms race, and data is the ammunition. Every major player is scrambling to hoard the high-quality text, images, and video needed to build the next generation of models. Google, sitting on a treasure trove of user-generated and indexed content, appears to have leveraged its dominant position to feed its AI engines. The Commission wants to know if that leverage crossed the line into abuse.

The Stakes for the AI Ecosystem

If the EU finds against Google, it could force a fundamental shift in how AI is built. No longer could companies simply vacuum up public data; they'd need clear licenses, transparent sourcing, and potentially even compensation models for content creators. This would level the playing field but also dramatically slow down development and increase costs—a classic regulatory trade-off.

A shot across the bow for every tech firm betting its future on AI, and a reminder that in Europe, data dominance is a regulatory risk, not just a competitive advantage. The finance crowd will be watching the potential fines, of course, cynically noting that for a company of Google's scale, it's often just another line item—the cost of doing business at the frontier.

Google faces up to 10% of its global revenue in fines if found liable

The EU is concerned that Google may have used publisher content and YouTube uploads without offering fair compensation or providing a mechanism for publishers to opt out of its use. The probe will also examine whether Google’s AI-generated summaries, which appear above traditional search results, may have contributed to traffic declines on online news sites, raising concerns about market distortion. 

“AI is bringing remarkable innovation and many benefits for people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies. We are investigating whether Google may have imposed unfair conditions on publishers and content creators, while disadvantaging competing AI developers.”

-Teresa Ribera, EU Antitrust Chief 

Alphabet now faces potential fines of up to 10% of its global revenue if the EU regulators find that Google breached antitrust rules. The latest investigation into Google follows recent complaints filed by independent publishers who alleged that the search engine giant was using online creators’ content without consent or payment.  

The EU has also recently fined Elon Musk’s X platform $140 million for transparency violations related to advertising and the use of the blue checkmark design. The fine attracted criticism across the industry, with U.S. President Donald TRUMP warning that Europe is going in the wrong direction following the fine. The president described the penalty as “nasty”, showing disapproval of the EU’s regulatory approach. 

Meanwhile, the EU has also launched a probe into Meta over its WhatsApp policies that limit AI provider access. According to a Reuters report, the European Commission stated that it will investigate Meta’s new policy, which WOULD limit AI providers’ access to WhatsApp, in order to boost its own AI system that was integrated into the platform earlier this year.

According to Teresa Ribera, the crackdown aims to prevent large firms from abusing their power to cut out innovative competitors, adding that interim measures may be imposed to block Meta’s new WhatsApp AI policy rollout.

Google Overviews linked to traffic declines on competitor sites

Google Overviews and AI Mode services are currently deployed in more than 100 countries, providing users with AI-generated summaries of web content. The search engine giant began integrating ads in AI Overviews in May 2025, which generates additional revenue for the firm.

Independent publishers and other critics argue that such services, despite offering value to users, may unfairly exploit publisher content and prevent competitors’ AI innovations from reaching the market.   

The European Commission regulators will determine whether the search engine giant violated antitrust rules and abused its dominant position. The regulators will also determine if publishers cannot opt out or receive fair compensation for content used to train AI models.

According to a Cryptopolitan report, the search engine giant was recently fined $3.4 billion in September relating to its dominance in online advertising. So far, Google has proposed technical resolutions to address the penalty but has declined calls from the EU to restructure the company. 

According to the EU, the probe marks a reflection of its commitment to ensuring fair compensation and protecting online content creators in the evolving AI market.  If the regulators find Google liable, the firm may face operational restrictions and be required to adjust how its AI services access and use third-party content. 

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