US judge throws out publishers’ antitrust case over Google AI search features

A US federal judge has dismissed antitrust lawsuits brought by Chegg and Penske Media Corporation, which argued that Google’s AI search features were diverting visitors and damaging publishers’ revenue. Judge Amit Mehta ruled that their claims did not establish an antitrust violation, saying publishers’ expectation of receiving search traffic was not an agreement with Google.

The companies alleged Google pressured publishers to provide material for AI Overviews without payment or risk losing visibility in search results. Mehta acknowledged publishers’ difficulties but said competition law could not substitute for legislative action on the economic effects of new technology. The decision comes as publishers report falling traffic; a reported Google pilot is paying around 100 publishers for material used in AI Overviews, AI Mode and Gemini.