The EU antitrust enforcer on Tuesday opened an investigation into the US tech giant over its use of online content to power its AI services, a move that threatens to ratchet up transatlantic relations.
The European Commission on Tuesday launched a probe into Google over its use of web publishers' content and YouTube material for its AI services.
The decision comes after transatlantic tensions escalated over the weekend after Brussels imposed a €120 million fine on Elon Musk’s social network X for breaching its landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), prompting a political response from the world's richest man calling for the EU to be abolished.
“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,” EU competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said in a statement.
“This is why we are investigating whether Google may have imposed unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content creators, while placing rival AI models developers at a disadvantage," Ribera added.
The EU investigation will examine whether Google used web publishers’ content to provide generative-AI services on its search results pages without appropriate compensation and without giving them the option to refuse.
Many publishers depend on Google Search for user traffic.
It will also assess whether videos uploaded on YouTube were used to train Google’s generative AI models without proper compensation to creators and without giving them any choice.
The Commission’s probe is based on EU rules designed to prohibit abuses of dominant market position. However, the opening of a probe following a fine on X might trigger Washington's ire, which has positioned itself on the side of Big American Tech.
Since Trump’s return to power in 2025, the EU and the US have been at loggerheads over the bloc’s enforcement of digital rules.
The Trump administration accuses the EU of targeting only US companies, while the EU says its legislation is non-discriminatory and reflects its sovereign right to enforce its own digital-market rules.
A Google's spokesperson said on Tuesday that the complaint "risks stifling innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever."
"Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies and we will continue to work closely with the news and creative industries as they transition to the AI era," the spokesperson added.
Google's comment has been added to the story.
