Google complies with U.K. regulation requiring publishers to opt out of AI Search features

The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority required Google to offer publishers a way to opt out of having their content aggregated into generative AI search features like AI Overviews and AI Mode. Publishers can now use a toggle in Google Search Console to remove their sites from these features.

Google will also attribute publisher content in AI features with clear links, including inline links within AI responses and website previews. The company will initially test the opt-out option with a subset of U.K. publishers before rolling it out globally.

A publisher's decision to opt out will not be used as a ranking signal for traditional Google search. Google will provide new metrics in Search Console—including impression data and information about which pages appear in AI responses and in which countries—to help publishers monitor their presence in AI features.