Google Accused of Content Theft by People CEO

Publisher Accusations of Unfair Practices by Google

The chief executive of a major U.S. digital and print publishing company has publicly stated that Google is engaging in detrimental practices concerning the use of website content for its artificial intelligence (AI) products.

Google's Dual Use of Web Crawlers

Neil Vogel, CEO of People, Inc. – a publisher encompassing over 40 well-known brands such as People, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Better Homes & Gardens – asserts that Google’s approach is inequitable. He explains that the company employs a single web crawler for both indexing websites for traditional Google Search and for fueling its AI functionalities.

“Google utilizes a unified crawler, effectively leveraging the same tool for search, which continues to drive traffic to our sites, and for its AI initiatives, where our content is appropriated,” Vogel articulated during the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference.

Significant Decline in Google Search Traffic

Vogel highlighted a substantial shift in traffic sources over the past three years. Google Search, which previously accounted for approximately 65% of the company’s overall traffic, has now decreased to the “high 20s.” He previously indicated to AdExchanger that Google once provided as much as 90% of People Inc.’s traffic from the open web.

Despite acknowledging audience and revenue growth, Vogel emphasized the core issue: “It is unacceptable to utilize our content in direct competition with us.”

Seeking Leverage Through AI Crawler Blocking

Vogel believes publishers require increased negotiating power in the evolving AI landscape. He advocates for blocking AI crawlers – automated programs used to train AI systems – as a means of compelling content licensing agreements. People Inc. has already established a partnership with OpenAI, which Vogel characterizes as a “good actor.”

The company is currently utilizing a solution from Cloudflare to block unpaid AI crawlers, successfully prompting discussions with potential content partners, described as “large LLM providers.” While no agreements are finalized, Vogel reports significant progress since implementing the blocking mechanism.

The Dilemma of Blocking Google’s Crawler

A key challenge lies in Google’s crawler, which cannot be blocked without simultaneously preventing indexing in Google Search, thereby eliminating a significant portion – roughly 20% – of current traffic.

“Google is fully aware of this limitation and has deliberately chosen not to separate its crawlers, demonstrating intentional misconduct,” Vogel stated.

Industry-Wide Concerns

Janice Min, CEO and editor-in-chief of Ankler Media, echoed these sentiments, labeling large technology companies like Google and Meta as habitual “content kleptomaniacs.” She confirmed that her company actively blocks AI crawlers and currently sees no benefit in collaborating with AI firms.

Potential Future Changes and Legal Considerations

Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, anticipates future shifts in AI company behavior, potentially driven by emerging regulations. He also questioned the efficacy of relying on existing copyright laws, designed for a pre-AI era, to address these issues.

“Pursuing legal remedies based on copyright law appears counterproductive, as AI-generated derivatives often fall under fair use provisions,” Prince explained. He cited Anthropic’s recent $1.5 billion settlement with book publishers as a strategic move to safeguard a favorable copyright ruling.

Google's Role and Potential Future Payments

Prince further suggested that Google bears responsibility for incentivizing publishers to prioritize traffic over original content, leading to practices like clickbait. However, he acknowledged the competitive pressures Google currently faces.

“I predict that within the next year, Google will implement a system for compensating content creators for the use of their content in training AI models,” Prince concluded.

Key Takeaway: The debate highlights the growing tension between content publishers and AI companies regarding the fair use of copyrighted material in the development of artificial intelligence.