Google, the tech giant under the Alphabet umbrella, is facing an antitrust investigation from the European Union (EU) over how it uses publishers’ online content and YouTube videos to train artificial intelligence models.

Google could face a massive fine.

This marks the second investigation launched by the EU Commission into Google in less than a month. It highlights growing unease that the dominance of large tech companies in new technologies could sideline competitors. Furthermore, this investigation could escalate tensions with the US, given that EU laws passed in recent years have already strained relations with Washington.

The EU competition regulator is concerned that Google uses publishers’ online content to provide AI-generated summaries, known as AI Overviews, without adequate compensation and without offering publishers the option to opt out. The Commission has expressed similar concerns regarding Google’s use of YouTube videos uploaded by its users.

EU Antitrust Chief Teresa Ribera said in a statement on Tuesday, “Google may be abusing its dominant position as a search engine by using publishers’ online content to provide its own AI-powered services, thereby imposing unfair trading conditions on them.”

Ribera stated that a healthy information ecosystem depends on publishers having the resources to produce quality content, adding a clear stance: “We will not allow gatekeepers to dictate these choices.”

Google denied the complaint filed by independent publishers in July, which triggered the investigation. A Google spokesperson said, “This complaint risks hindering innovation in an increasingly competitive market.”

The spokesperson added that Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies, and that “we will continue to work closely with them as the news and creative industries transition to the age of AI.” If found guilty, Google faces a fine of up to 10% of its global revenue.