Türkiye's competition regulator has launched an antitrust investigation into Google's artificial intelligence-powered search features, AI Overviews and AI Mode, over concerns that the services could affect news publishers' website traffic, advertising revenue and access to fair content licensing arrangements.
The Turkish Competition Authority announced the investigation on November 2, 2026, alongside interim measures requiring Google to address potential discriminatory practices involving publishers whose content appears in AI-generated search responses.
The investigation will examine whether Google's AI search services violate competition regulations by changing how users access information and potentially reducing visits to websites that produce original content.
According to the regulator, preliminary findings raised sufficient concerns about possible discriminatory and exploitative practices to justify temporary intervention while the investigation continues.
Under the interim measures, Google must establish conditions allowing news publishers to decide whether their content can be used in AI Overviews and AI Mode without affecting their visibility or indexing in other Google Search services.
The regulator is also seeking transparent and non-discriminatory arrangements for content usage and licensing, including terms that reflect the economic value of publishers' material.
The measures are intended to prevent publishers from having to choose between allowing their content to appear in AI-generated answers and maintaining their presence in conventional search results.
The investigation will further examine whether Google's agreements with news organisations contain unfair contractual terms and whether its AI search services create exclusionary effects for publishers and competing AI chatbot providers.
Regulators will also assess whether Google applies different standards when selecting content for its AI products or negotiating licensing arrangements with publishers.
Google's AI Overviews feature provides AI-generated summaries within search results, drawing information from multiple websites and displaying links to supporting sources.
AI Mode offers a more conversational search experience, allowing users to ask complex questions and follow-up queries while receiving AI-generated responses based on information gathered from the web.
Both services were introduced in Türkiye in February 2026.
While these features are designed to provide information directly within Google Search, their growing use has raised questions about the volume of traffic reaching original content publishers.
For news organisations that depend on website visits to generate advertising revenue and subscriptions, changes in referral traffic could have financial implications.
The Turkish regulator's interim decision does not prohibit Google from offering AI Overviews or AI Mode. Instead, it requires the company to address identified competition concerns while the investigation proceeds.
Google will determine how to implement the necessary changes and which commercial arrangements to adopt to comply with the measures.
The authority has not announced a final decision on whether Google has violated competition law.
The investigation adds to regulatory scrutiny surrounding the relationship between AI-powered search services, online content publishers and competition in digital information markets.
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