German media regulator says Google's AI Overviews subject to German media law

Germany’s media regulator said Google’s AI Overviews and Perplexity AI are subject to German media law, intensifying regulatory scrutiny of AI-generated search summaries and chatbot answers. The regulator argued these products are not passive displays of third-party content but provider-generated content, meaning platform liability and media-plurality rules may apply. This follows a Munich court ruling that Google could be directly liable for inaccurate AI Overview statements. The decision raises legal and compliance risk for Google’s search products in Europe, potentially increasing moderation, labeling, and liability costs, and could pressure similar AI search services elsewhere in the EU. Both Google and Perplexity may challenge the rulings through legal channels.