Germany’s media regulator has ruled that Google’s AI Overviews and Perplexity AI are subject to the country’s media laws, significantly expanding oversight of artificial intelligence-generated content following a recent court ruling against Google.
The Commission for Licensing and Supervision (ZAK), which represents Germany’s 14 state media authorities, said AI-generated search summaries and chatbot responses should be treated as content produced by the providers themselves rather than as a simple display of information from third-party websites.
The decision follows a ruling by a Munich court that found Google could be held liable for allegedly false information generated by its AI Overview feature, concluding that the AI-generated summaries constitute the company’s own content.
ZAK Chairman Thorsten Schmiege said AI-powered search engines and chatbots are content providers and will henceforth be regulated under Germany’s media laws.
The regulator also said liability protections under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, which generally shield online platforms from responsibility for unlawful user-generated content, do not apply to AI-generated responses because the content is created by the providers themselves.
ZAK argued that Google’s AI Overviews are displayed prominently in search results, reducing the visibility of traditional website links and potentially placing independent media organisations at a competitive disadvantage.
It further said AI chatbots such as Perplexity influence how users access news by selecting and presenting sources, links and recommendations alongside AI-generated responses, potentially qualifying them as media intermediaries subject to regulations aimed at safeguarding media plurality.
Google said it would appeal the ruling, arguing that the decision fails to recognise how people’s search habits and the digital information ecosystem are evolving.
The company maintained that its AI-powered summaries enhance users’ search experience by helping them discover relevant content more efficiently and ask follow-up questions.
Perplexity declined to comment on the decision, saying only that it complies with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and maintains SOC 2 Type II certification covering its security and privacy practices.
Goodness Anunobi
