The U.K. has just imposed legal guardrails on Google's AI search methods, requiring the tech giant to provide publishers with an opt-out option from being aggregated into its generative AI Search features.

To exercise this right, website owners can use a new toggle within Google’s Search Console, offering them control over their content in AI searches like AI Overviews and AI Mode. Once opted out, these publishers' sites won't appear in any of Google's AI-generated search results.

The move is seen as a 'world first', according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which hopes this new regulation will put news organizations and other content creators into a stronger position when negotiating with Google over the use of their material. It comes after the CMA designated Google as having ‘strategic market status’ last October, paving the way for future regulations.

Google has also emphasized that opting out won’t affect traditional search rankings, but will now present new metrics in its Search Console to help publishers make informed decisions. These include impression data and information on which of their pages appear in AI responses.