Judge dismisses antitrust lawsuits over Google’s AI Overviews

A federal judge has thrown out two antitrust lawsuits from Chegg and Penske Media Corporation that accused Google of leveraging AI-powered search features to reduce publisher web traffic. The plaintiffs argued Google used its dominant position to pressure publishers into supplying content used in AI Overviews without compensation, which they say led to lost visits and revenue.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rejected those claims, saying the complaints amounted to plaintiffs’ expectations that making content available would generate search traffic, but did not allege the kind of agreement or coercive conduct required under antitrust law. Mehta acknowledged the challenges publishers face amid technological change but indicated that antitrust doctrine cannot substitute for legislative responses to economic effects of new innovations.

The decision follows wider concerns among news outlets and smaller websites about traffic declines after Google redesigned search results to incorporate AI-generated summaries and other features. The Verge notes that Google has begun paying roughly 100 publishers as part of a pilot for contributions to AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini, a separate development occurring alongside the litigation.

While Mehta previously issued a major antitrust ruling against Google in 2024, he found the particular legal theory advanced by Chegg and PMC insufficient this time. The dismissal removes these specific legal challenges but leaves open broader industry and policy debates over how publishers should be compensated as search evolves.