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Turkey launches investigation into Google Search AI features and imposes interim regulatory measures
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- DeepHorus
The Turkish Competition Authority announced on November 2 local time that it has launched an investigation into the “AI Overviews” and “AI Mode” features in Google Search to determine whether they violate the country’s Law on the Protection of Competition. The authority also stated that, because existing indications show that Google Search’s AI features are highly suspected of exclusionary and exploitative conduct against news publishers, it will impose interim regulatory measures on Google. The investigation will focus on how AI search uses news content and its competitive effects.
The background to this investigation is that “AI Overviews” and “AI Mode” in Google Search are changing the way users obtain information. The Turkish Competition Authority will examine whether these changes adversely affect traffic for news publishers and other content creators. The authority will also look at whether the relevant features have exclusionary effects on news publishers, other content creators, and AI chatbots.
At the contract and licensing level, the investigation will assess whether the agreements between Google and news publishers regarding content use contain unfair contractual terms. At the same time, the authority will examine whether Google engages in differential treatment when screening or licensing news publishers’ content as resources for “AI Overviews” and “AI Mode.” All of these issues are included within the scope of this competition investigation.
Regarding interim regulatory measures, the Turkish Competition Authority stated that it will regulate Google’s use of news publishers’ content in AI-driven search. The measure was introduced at the investigation-launch stage, meaning that Google’s relevant conduct will be subject to stricter scrutiny. The authority believes that existing indications already support its imposition of interim intervention.
In terms of impact, this investigation directly concerns the interest relationship between Google’s AI search features and news publishers. If the regulator determines that exclusionary or exploitative conduct exists, Google may be required to adjust its content-use agreements or the way content is displayed in AI features. For news publishers, the case concerns the licensing conditions and traffic returns when their content is used by AI features, and it may also affect their bargaining power with platforms.
At present, the investigation is still ongoing, and final conclusions have not yet been announced. How the Turkish Competition Authority defines the boundaries of content use, traffic allocation, and fair competition in AI search will become an important case for observing the relationship between AI regulation and news content protection. Further developments remain to be disclosed by the regulator.
