Google Could Be Forced to Restore Italian News Links in AI Search

The Italy Communications Authority (Agcom) has decided to escalate its long-running dispute with Google’s new “AI Mode” search interface, a step that could force Brussels to test, for the first time, how the Digital Services Act protects European newsrooms and readers.

Why This Matters

• Fewer clicks for newspapers – internal traffic audits show drops of up to 65 % when an AI summary appears above traditional links.

• Formal EU procedure is imminent – Agcom will file its dossier "within weeks," triggering deadlines that can end in daily fines or enforced product changes.

• Potential redesign of Google Search in Italy – the Commission could oblige the company to tweak placement, attribution or even revenue-sharing formulas.

What Agcom Sees From Rome

Italian editors have been sounding the alarm since spring 2025, when Google quietly rolled out AI Overviews, later rebranded AI Mode, to Italian users. The feature answers questions with a paragraph generated by Gemini 2.5 and pulls snippets from multiple sites. Agcom president Giacomo Lasorella told an academic forum this week that the tool risks “compressing the liberty to inform” guaranteed by the European Freedom Act.

His team says:

• the first link below an AI Overview now receives 80 % fewer clicks on average;

• smaller regional outlets – already struggling with print sales – lose the most traffic;

• Google does not pay licensing fees for the excerpts used to train or display Gemini’s answers.

Germany’s media regulator filed a nearly identical complaint in January, giving Agcom a legal roadmap – and adding political weight – to the Italian case.

Brussels’ Toolbox: DSA, DMA and the Coming AI Act

Under the Digital Services Act (DSA) Google Search is classified as a Very Large Online Search Engine (VLOSE), meaning it must assess and mitigate any “systemic risks” it creates – including harm to pluralism. Separately, two formal probes launched in late January under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) demand:

Interoperability – free API access so rival AI developers can plug their engines into Android devices.

Data portability – anonymised search-ranking data for competing search providers on Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) terms.

If Agcom’s evidence proves a systemic risk, the Commission could order interim measures within three months – well before the broader DMA cases conclude – ranging from transparent labelling of AI answers to a “click-out rule” that forces Google to show source links more prominently.

Impact on Residents

• Choice of information – Expect clearer labels (“AI generated”) and perhaps a one-click toggle to view classic search results.

• Local journalism – More traffic means more ad revenue for Italian outlets, which in turn sustains reporting on local schools, health care and courts.

• Personal data – Any redesign will likely include stronger consent notices because Gemini currently ingests user queries to refine future answers.

Practical tip: when an AI summary appears, scrolling just two lines down often reveals at least one Italian publisher link; clicking through keeps those outlets alive.

The Numbers Behind the Clash

| Indicator | Before AI Mode | After AI Mode* ||-----------|---------------|----------------|| Avg. outbound clicks per 100 queries | 38 | 12 || Visits to regional dailies (Centro Italia sample) | 1.1 M/day | 590 k/day || Estimated lost ad revenue (Italian market) | — | €46 M in 2025 |

*Agcom study, October–December 2025.

Google’s Counter-Argument

Google says the summaries “create new curiosity” and insists that news links remain above the fold on mobile. The firm also points to billions of monthly clicks sent to publishers worldwide and a new licensing framework, News Showcase, already used by a handful of Italian media groups. But FIEG calls that programme “marginal” and warns it covers less than 15 % of daily news consumption.

A Wider EU Crackdown on Digital Giants

The Italian complaint lands as Brussels flexes its DSA muscles in other sectors. On Monday the Commission opened a case against Shein over the sale of child-like sex dolls and allegedly addictive app design. Although unrelated in substance, both files will be processed by the same DSA enforcement team, signalling a new era in which platforms face simultaneous content and competition scrutiny.

What Happens Next

Agcom files its report – expected by early March.

The Commission notifies Google and opens a formal investigation.

Google has 70 days to submit a risk-mitigation plan; failure triggers fines of up to 6 % of global turnover.

Binding remedies or a settlement could arrive before the summer break.

For Italians tired of paywalls and pop-ups, the story might look like a technical tug-of-war. Yet the outcome will shape whether your morning search leads to a diversity of voices – or just one AI paragraph perched atop a wall of ads.