Google’s AI explanations are regulated by Germany. The media.

This is the first time anywhere in the world that AI search engines have been treated as media companies. According to the regulator ZAK, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity aren’t neutral platforms — they’re content providers who need to follow media laws. The verdicts are binding, but the companies can still appeal within a month.

If other European countries follow suit, it could mean that the 20-year exemption from responsibility for user-generated content enjoyed by search engines will no longer apply to AI services. This could force them to reveal how they choose sources (their “algorithms”) and even compensate content providers. It would have major implications for the AI search market, including Perplexity and ChatGPT Search.