Landmark German ruling declares Google’s AI Overviews are Google’s own words and makes it liable for false answers

The Regional Court of Munich hit Google with a temporary injunction barring the company from spreading false claims about two Munich-based publishers through its AI-generated search overviews (case no. 26 O 869/26). The court classified Google as a direct infringer because the “AI overview” is its own content, not just a list of search results.

Google’s AI overviews had falsely tied two publishing companies to scams, subscription traps, and shady business practices. The AI mixed up information about other, genuinely sketchy companies with the plaintiffs and drew connections that didn’t appear in any of the linked sources.

The Munich court found that BGH search-engine liability rules don’t apply. AI overviews generate “independent, new, and substantive statements” by evaluating and combining content from various third-party sites. Only Google can check those statements.

Google argued users could verify linked sources themselves. The court rejected this, noting studies show users almost never click on sources in AI overviews. The court drew a parallel to press law, where publishers are liable for teasers understandable on their own.

Google covers 80 percent of legal costs. Violations carry fines up to EUR 250,000.

An Oumi/New York Times analysis cited by The Decoder found Gemini 3-powered AI Overviews correct 91% of the time — but at Google’s scale that still means millions of wrong answers hourly. 56% of correct answers couldn’t be backed up by linked sources.

Google stated: “We’re carefully reviewing this decision, which is not yet final.”