Publishers consider blocking Google as AI Overviews wipe out search traffic

Major publishers and platforms including Reddit, USA Today, Reuters, Politico and The Economist are considering blocking Google as AI Overviews continue to cannibalize search traffic. Google’s AI‑generated answers often resolve user queries without sending visitors to the original sources, causing dramatic declines in referral traffic: USA Today’s Google traffic dropped nearly 50 percent year‑over‑year, Politico fell 23 percent, CNN 25 percent, and Business Insider over 85 percent. Reddit is weighing whether to block Google from using its massive archive of user posts for AI training as licensing negotiations continue. Publishers face a dilemma: Google allows them to block AI training via Google‑Extended, but opting out of AI Overviews risks losing visibility in traditional search. The UK’s competition authority has ordered Google to let publishers opt out without penalty, but global rollout remains unclear. As AI summaries replace link‑based search, publishers warn that Google is undermining the business model that supports the open web.

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