Penske Media Corporation, publisher of Rolling Stone, Billboard and Variety, has become the first major US media company to take Google to court over its AI-powered search feature, AI Overviews.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., alleges that Google is unlawfully using Penske’s journalism to generate AI summaries that keep users on its search page, diverting traffic and cutting into advertising and affiliate revenue.
According to the complaint, about 20% of Google searches that previously drove readers to Penske sites now display AI Overviews directly in search results. Penske says this change is set to push its revenue down by more than a third this year compared with peak levels.
With Google holding about 90% of the US search market, Penske argues publishers face a no-win choice: accept their content being scraped for summaries, or risk vanishing from search altogether.
Google rejected the claims, saying AI Overviews improve the user experience and send traffic to a wider range of sites. A spokesperson said the company would “robustly defend” against what it called baseless accusations.
The case follows a similar lawsuit from education firm Chegg, which reported steep traffic and revenue declines it blamed partly on AI Overviews. In Europe, publishers have lodged an antitrust complaint with the European Commission, while the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority is reviewing the issue as part of a wider look at AI in search.
Industry analysts warn the conflict may escalate if Google makes “AI Mode” its default search option. That feature uses its Gemini AI to generate direct answers alongside search data, potentially further reducing click-throughs to publishers.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is fresh, with the lawsuit filed on September 12, 2025, and reported on September 13, 2025. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/rolling-stone-billboard-owner-penske-sues-google-over-ai-overviews-2025-09-14/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
No direct quotes are present in the provided text.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from Zoomit, a reputable Iranian technology news outlet.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims align with recent legal actions against Google’s AI Overviews, including Chegg’s lawsuit filed in February 2025. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/googles-ai-previews-erode-internet-edtech-company-says-lawsuit-2025-02-24/?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, originating from a reputable source, and aligns with recent legal actions against Google’s AI Overviews, indicating high credibility.