Google defends AI search summaries in lawsuit filed by publishers
What's the story
Google has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Penske Media Corporation (PMC), the publisher of Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Variety magazines. The lawsuit accuses the tech giant of hurting traffic to media companies' websites by adding AI-generated summaries to search results. In its defense, Google called PMC's case "legally defective in every way" and said its AI Overviews don't stop users from visiting publishers' pages directly through search results.
Legal allegations
PMC's lawsuit alleges antitrust violations
Filed last year, PMC's lawsuit alleges that Google violated antitrust laws by compelling publishers to allow AI Overviews of their content if they want to be indexed in Google search. The publisher claims it heavily relies on Google search referrals for traffic and revenue across its more than 25 print and digital brands. Separately, online education company Chegg is also suing Google over its AI overviews.
Defense strategy
Google counters PMC's claims
In response to PMC's lawsuit, Google said it is not obliged to index publishers' content on their preferred terms. The tech giant also said that publishers can block indexing entirely and it doesn't guarantee referral traffic for indexed sites. "In PMC's preferred world, Google Search must be frozen in time," the company told the court, adding that users would have to visit websites like PMC's speculatively for information they want.
Ongoing lawsuits
Google's legal battles over search and advertising practices
Along with PMC's lawsuit, Google is also facing two antitrust lawsuits from the US government over its search and advertising practices. Media publishers including PMC are also suing the company over its advertising business. The case against Google by Penske Media Corporation is being heard in the US District Court for the District of Columbia under case number 1:25-cv-03192-APM.