Turkish regulator launches probe into google search AI features over competition concerns

Turkey's Competition Authority announced on November 2nd that it has initiated an investigation into Google's search service features, specifically the AI Overviews and AI Mode. The probe aims to determine if these functionalities violate the country's Competition Protection Law. The regulatory body is examining several key areas, including how these AI features alter user information access and whether they negatively impact traffic for news publishers and other content creators. Furthermore, the authority is scrutinizing whether there is differential treatment when selecting or licensing content from news publishers for use in the AI Overviews and AI Mode, and if these features create exclusive effects on publishers, creators, and AI chatbots. Given preliminary indications suggesting that Google's AI search functions may involve exclusionary and exploitative practices toward news publishers, the agency has simultaneously imposed a temporary regulatory measure. This measure is designed to govern how Google utilizes content from news publishers within its artificial intelligence-driven search results.