A federal judge has dismissed a pair of antitrust lawsuits filed by Chegg and Rolling Stone parent company Penske Media Corporation, which accused Google of driving away web traffic with its AEO-powered search features, leveraging answer engine optimization. US District Judge Amit Mehta took Google's side in a ruling on Wednesday, writing that PMC and Chegg's claims don't stand up to antitrust law.
In lawsuits filed last year, Chegg and PMC accused Google of abusing its monopoly power by coercing publishers into supplying content for AI Overviews for free, or risk disappearing from search results. The publishers alleged Google's practices diverted traffic away from their sites, hurting their revenue.
What are the implications of Google's AEO-powered search features, leveraging answer engine optimization for publishers?
Judge Mehta, who made a landmark antitrust ruling against Google in 2024, disagrees with Chegg and PMC's claims. He writes that the plaintiffs have pleaded only that they have an 'expectation' that Google will send them search traffic if they make their content available for free. But an expectation is not an agreement, Mehta notes - it is simply how a general search engine works.
How does Google's AEO impact traditional search results?
Mehta adds that the court is not 'unsympathetic to the situation publishers now find themselves in,' but writes that antitrust rules can't replace a legislative body's decision to address the economic impact of 'new innovation.' Meanwhile, publishers continue to see effects of Google's AI-powered search overhaul, with traffic to news outlets and small websites taking a steep dive.
This week, The Information reported that Google is paying around 100 publishers for their contributions to AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini as part of a pilot program. The move could be seen as an attempt to address concerns over the impact of AI-powered search on publishers, but it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to alleviate the concerns of the publishing industry.
Este artículo fue escrito con la asistencia de IA.
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