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Google Said to Demand Broad Content Rights, Including AI Training, From Publishers

June 28, 2026 at 09:01 EDT

Policy & Regulation
Sales & Business
Foundation Models

Google is reportedly pressing publishers to grant broad rights to use their content, including for AI model training, as a condition for joining a new AI pilot program in Google News. The move comes amid sharply declining search referral traffic and has drawn strong pushback from publishers.

December 2025 · Google & News Publishers

Share Your Content for AI Training — or Lose the Fees

Google is asking major news publishers for broad rights to use their content — possibly including AI model training — and is signaling it may end existing payments to those who decline.

3,000+

Publications & platforms in Google's commercial partnerships

Initial pilot partners, incl. WaPo, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, El País

Fronts of pressure: EU antitrust probe & U.S. copyright suits

The publisher's choice

What each path means under the proposed terms

JOIN THE PILOT

Stay in Google News & Gemini

Keep Showcase payments

AI-overview exposure

Grant broad content rights — possibly AI training

DECLINE

Risk losing Showcase annual fee

No model-training rights granted

The structural bind

AI Overviews cut referral traffic

→

Publishers seek licensing revenue

→

Google sets the terms as gatekeeper

Big Tech is described as both a cause of declining traffic and the gatekeeper of the licensing market.

GOOGLE'S FRAMING

As news preferences shift, AI features can reach more engaged audiences and offset falling direct traffic through greater exposure.

PUBLISHERS' CONCERN

Granting model-training rights is seen as a long-term threat to copyright and revenue models — terms viewed as tough, described as moving to "bleed publishers."

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