The lawsuit also claims that Google's advances in AI-based search were implemented with the aim of discouraging users from visiting publishers' websites. It argues that publishers could lose between 20% and 40% of their website traffic when Google's AI products are fully rolled out. The suit is seeking damages and an injunction requiring Google to obtain consent from publishers to use their website data to train its AI products and to allow publishers who opt out of SGE to still appear in Google search results.
Key takeaways:
- A class action lawsuit has been filed against Google and Alphabet by Arkansas-based publisher Helena World Chronicle, accusing them of anticompetitive behavior and violation of U.S. antitrust law.
- The lawsuit argues that Google's AI technologies, such as the Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Bard AI chatbot, are worsening the problem by siphoning off news publishers’ content, readers, and ad revenue.
- The suit also claims that Google's advances in AI-based search are implemented with the goal of discouraging users from visiting publishers' websites, thus causing significant loss of website traffic.
- The lawsuit is asking for an injunction that would require Google to obtain consent from publishers to use their website data to train its AI products and to allow publishers who opt out of SGE to still show up in Google search results.