Federal judge dismisses antitrust lawsuits against Google over AI Overviews

A federal judge has dismissed antitrust lawsuits filed by education platform Chegg and Penske Media Corporation (PMC), the parent company of Rolling Stone, against Google. The lawsuits alleged that Google’s AI-powered search features, specifically AI Overviews, diverted web traffic away from their sites, harming their revenue.

US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in favor of Google on Wednesday, stating that the claims made by Chegg and PMC do not meet the legal standards required for antitrust violations. Judge Mehta wrote that the publishers’ arguments rested on an ‘expectation’ of traffic rather than a binding agreement, which is not sufficient under antitrust law.

In the lawsuits, Chegg and PMC accused Google of abusing its monopoly power by coercing publishers into supplying content for AI Overviews without compensation, or risking exclusion from search results. Judge Mehta acknowledged the publishers’ concerns but emphasized that antitrust rules cannot address the economic consequences of ‘new innovation’ without legislative action.

The ruling comes as publishers report significant declines in traffic due to Google’s AI-powered search overhaul. Separately, The Information reported that Google is piloting payments to approximately 100 publishers for their contributions to AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini as part of a trial program.