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Turkey's competition authority opens an investigation into Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode and orders interim measures to protect news publishers
On Nov. 2, Turkey's competition authority opened an abuse-of-dominance probe into Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, with interim measures for publishers.
On November 2, 2026, the Turkish Competition Authority announced an investigation into Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode and ordered interim measures to protect news publishers while the case runs. The probe asks whether the features breach Article 6 of Law No. 4054, which covers abuse of a dominant position. No violation has been found. The measures do not ban the features.
The essentials
- Scope: AI Overviews and AI Mode in Google Search, not Google's search engine as a whole. The board is examining whether they have an exclusionary effect on news publishers, other content producers and AI chat assistants.
- Interim measures: Google must set conditions that do not discriminate among publishers and that reflect the economic value of the content used, and must let publishers decide whether their material appears in AI Overviews and AI Mode independently of their visibility and indexing in other Google services.
- Payment: the official announcement does not say whether Google must pay publishers, according to one analysis; the authority's portal mentions remuneration but leaves the commercial approach to Google.
- Background: the case grew out of a preliminary inquiry opened on August 27, 2026. Brussels and London are probing similar questions, per Global Competition Review.
What was actually ordered?
The board found that evidence of potentially discriminatory and exploitative practices toward news publishers reached the level of strong suspicion, which is the basis for interim measures. They are conditions on how Google handles publishers' content in the two AI features, with an opt-out that does not cost the publisher its place elsewhere in Google. One relay describes the measures as barring Google from forcibly including news sites' content in AI overviews; the other coverage we read frames it as the opt-out requirement above.
What happens next?
The investigation continues. If the authority finds an infringement, Google could face administrative fines and be required to end the practice, according to Hürriyet Daily News. The authority named several Google entities, including Alphabet, Google Ireland, Google LLC and Google's Turkish advertising and marketing company. Both features have been available in Türkiye since February 2026. Google's response was not found in the sources we read.
What is not established
- Whether the investigation will find an abuse: no finding yet.
- Whether Google must pay publishers, and how much: not specified.
- Duration and deadlines for Google to comply with the interim measures: not clear in the sources we read.
- Google's response or any appeal: not found.
Summary table
| Point | What is stated as of November 6, 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | November 2, 2026 | Daily Sabah, Hürriyet Daily News |
| Legal basis | Article 6 of Law No. 4054 (abuse of dominance) | Daily Sabah |
| Targets | AI Overviews and AI Mode in Google Search | Daily Sabah, Türkiye Today |
| Interim measures | Non-discriminatory terms, value reflected, publisher opt-out decoupled from visibility | Türkiye Today |
| Origin | Preliminary inquiry opened on August 27, 2026 | MACCUS |
| Possible outcome | Fines and orders to end the practice if an infringement is found | Hürriyet Daily News |
FAQ
Did Turkey ban AI Overviews?
No. The measures do not ban the features; they set conditions on how publishers' content is used and let publishers opt out.
Has Google been found guilty?
No. The investigation has just opened, and the interim measures rest on a strong suspicion, not a finding of infringement.
Is this only about AI Overviews?
No. The probe covers AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Method and limits
Sources checked on November 6, 2026. Details come from press coverage and analyses of the authority's announcement, whose original text we did not read. One analysis (MACCUS) is by a third party. Google's response was not found. This is not legal advice.
Sources
- Daily Sabah: Turkish competition body probes Google over AI features in search (verified 2026-11-06)
- Hürriyet Daily News: Turkish watchdog opens probe into Google's AI-generated summaries (verified 2026-11-06)
- Türkiye Today: Türkiye launches antitrust probe into Google over AI search features (verified 2026-11-06)
- MLex: Google's Turkish antitrust probe focuses on use of news content (verified 2026-11-06)
- Global Competition Review: AI Mode: The Briefing for 2 November 2026 (verified 2026-11-06)
- MACCUS: Turkey probes Google's AI Overviews and already orders fair terms for news publishers (verified 2026-11-06)
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