Turkish Competition Authority launches probe into Google search AI features
Turkish regulators have opened an investigation into Google's AI-driven search features, alleging potential anticompetitive practices regarding news content usage.
The Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) announced an investigation into Google to determine whether its "AI Overview" and "AI Mode" features violate national competition laws. Regulators are examining whether these generative AI tools disadvantage news publishers and content creators by altering traffic patterns and search visibility.
Key areas of inquiry include the fairness of content licensing agreements and whether Google exhibits discriminatory behavior when selecting or prioritizing data used to train and populate its AI responses. The investigation aims to establish if these features exert an exclusionary effect on third-party publishers and competitors in the AI chatbot market.
Alongside the probe, the TCA has implemented temporary regulatory measures to govern how Google integrates news content into its AI search results. The authority cited concerns that the company's current practices may be exploitative toward publishers. This move follows a global trend of regulators scrutinizing the impact of generative AI on media ecosystems and digital competition.