Alphabet(US:GOOGL) Benzinga·2025-12-09 13:33Group 1 - The European Commission has launched an antitrust investigation into Google regarding its use of publisher and creator content for training AI models [1][2] - The investigation will assess whether Google imposes unfair conditions on online publishers and content creators on YouTube, potentially disadvantaging rival AI developers [2][3] - EU competition chief Teresa Ribera highlighted the importance of balancing AI innovation with societal principles, indicating the EU's commitment to protecting online press and content creators [3] Group 2 - This investigation is part of the EU's broader efforts to regulate major tech companies, following Google's recent withdrawal of its antitrust complaint against Microsoft [4] - In September, the European Commission fined Google approximately $3.46 billion for antitrust violations related to favoring its own adtech services, which harmed competition in the online advertising supply chain [5] - The EU has also initiated an investigation against Meta Platforms regarding its "Meta AI" assistant in WhatsApp, under traditional antitrust frameworks [6] Group 3 - The EU recently imposed a €120 million ($140 million) fine on Elon Musk's social media company, X, for violating online content rules, marking the first sanction under the Digital Services Act [7] - President Donald Trump criticized the EU's fine on X, describing it as "nasty" and expressing concerns about Europe's regulatory direction [8] - Alphabet's stock has increased by 64.95% year-to-date, although it fell by 2.31% to close at $314.45 on a recent trading day [8]