Penske Media Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google Over AI Summaries

Penske Media Corporation (PMC), owner of major publications like Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Variety, has filed a federal lawsuit against Google, alleging that the search giant's AI-generated news summaries unlawfully use its content without permission, causing significant declines in traffic and affiliate revenue. PMC claims that about 20% of Google searches linking to its sites now display AI Overviews, which reduce the need for users to visit PMC's websites, leading to a revenue drop of over one-third since late 2024. The lawsuit accuses Google of copyright infringement and unfair competition, arguing that Google's dominance in the U.S. search market enables it to impose these terms without compensating publishers. Google denies the allegations, asserting that AI Overviews improve user experience and increase traffic and discovery opportunities for publishers, calling the lawsuit meritless. This legal challenge is the first major case by a U.S. publisher against Google over AI search features and reflects wider industry concerns about the impact of AI on digital media revenue and content integrity. The case may have significant implications for how AI technologies integrate news content and for the future of independent journalism amid ongoing antitrust scrutiny of big tech.