People CEO Accuses Google of Content Theft, Labels Company a ‘Bad Actor’
The CEO of People, Inc., Neil Vogel, has publicly criticized Google for its practices regarding web crawling, claiming the tech giant is unfairly using content from publishers to enhance its AI products. Speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference, Vogel expressed concerns that Google’s single crawler is being used to index websites for both search results and AI applications, which he argues undermines the interests of content creators. As traffic from Google has significantly declined for his company, Vogel is advocating for more control for publishers in the evolving AI landscape.
Concerns Over Google’s Crawling Practices
Neil Vogel, the CEO of People, Inc., has raised alarms about Google’s web crawling practices, suggesting that the search engine is exploiting content from publishers to bolster its AI offerings. At the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference, Vogel stated that Google employs a single crawler for both its search engine and AI products. This, he argues, allows Google to “steal” content from publishers while still directing some traffic to their sites. Vogel highlighted a stark decline in traffic from Google, noting that it has dropped from approximately 65% to the “high 20s” in recent years. He emphasized that while his company has managed to grow its audience and revenue, the fundamental issue remains: publishers should not have their content used to compete against them.
Strategies for Content Control
In response to these challenges, Vogel believes that publishers need to take a stand against AI crawlers that do not compensate them for their content. He has implemented a strategy using Cloudflare’s latest technology to block such crawlers, which has prompted interest from major AI companies seeking content partnerships. Although Vogel did not disclose the names of these companies, he mentioned they are “large LLM providers.” While no agreements have been finalized, he indicated that the company is making significant progress in negotiations since adopting this new approach. However, Vogel acknowledged the difficulty of blocking Google’s crawler, as doing so would also hinder the indexing of their sites in Google Search, which still provides a portion of their traffic.
Industry Perspectives on AI and Content Creation
Janice Min, CEO of Ankler Media, echoed Vogel’s sentiments, labeling major tech firms like Google and Meta as “content kleptomaniacs.” She expressed skepticism about the benefits of partnering with AI companies at this time and confirmed that her organization also blocks AI crawlers. Cloudflare’s CEO, Matthew Prince, who participated in the same panel discussion, suggested that the landscape might shift as new regulations emerge. He raised questions about the effectiveness of legal actions based on copyright laws that were established before the rise of AI technologies. Prince argued that AI companies often create derivative works, which complicates the application of traditional copyright protections.
The Future of Content Monetization
Prince further commented on the broader implications of Google’s influence on the publishing industry, stating that the company has conditioned publishers to prioritize traffic over original content creation. He predicted that Google may eventually have to compensate content creators for using their material in AI models. This shift could represent a significant change in the relationship between tech giants and content publishers, as the industry grapples with the challenges posed by AI and the need for fair compensation for original work. As the conversation around content rights and AI continues to evolve, the future of digital publishing remains uncertain, with many stakeholders advocating for a more equitable framework.
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