Italy’s communications regulator AGCOM said on Thursday it has asked the European Commission to open a formal probe into Google’s AI-enabled search features amid concerns from publishers that the technology could damage the news industry.
Acting in its role as Italy’s Digital Services Coordinator, AGCOM referred Google Ireland Ltd to Brussels for assessment under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The referral follows a complaint lodged by the Italian federation of newspaper publishers, FIEG.
FIEG's complaint centers on two Google offerings - AI Overviews and AI Mode - which produce AI-generated search summaries. The federation contends these summaries can reduce clicks to original news stories, potentially weakening the revenue streams that sustain publishers. FIEG emphasized the risk to smaller and independent outlets, saying the AI responses could threaten their economic sustainability by diverting users away from publisher websites.
The publishers also flagged concerns about the factual reliability of AI-generated content. They warned that false or fabricated information might circulate through AI responses, and that users may find it difficult to verify the original sources behind those summaries.
AGCOM said it has asked the Commission to evaluate whether Google’s services comply with DSA obligations related to systemic risk mitigation, media freedom and pluralism, and algorithmic transparency. These obligations apply specifically to very large online platforms and search engines under the DSA framework.
In addition to the referral, AGCOM stated it will convene a permanent roundtable that will bring together Google, other platforms and publishers. The roundtable is intended to provide a forum for discussion on issues including copyright, artificial intelligence and media pluralism.
No new factual claims have been added beyond the referral, the complaint from FIEG, and AGCOM’s stated actions and requests for assessment under the DSA.