The educational technology company Chegg has taken legal action against Google in federal court. They claim that Google’s “AI Overviews,” which show up before search results, have negatively impacted their website traffic and earnings.
Chegg argues that to be featured in Google’s search results, they have to provide content that Google uses in AI-generated answers without permission, creating unfair competition that violates U.S. antitrust laws.
In the past, media companies like The New York Times have filed lawsuits against AI firms for copyright violations, accusing them of using their intellectual property to train large language models without consent.
However, Chegg is approaching the issue differently by alleging that Google is misusing its dominant position to compel companies to provide content for its “AI Overviews.” If they refuse, Chegg believes they risk being pushed out of Google Search entirely.
Chegg has attached an image showing a Google AI Overview that includes information from Chegg’s website without giving credit, while the actual Chegg page appears lower in the search results.
In response to the lawsuit, Google stated that it would vigorously defend itself. A spokesperson mentioned that Google directs billions of clicks to various websites daily, and that AI Overviews actually increase traffic to a wider range of sites.
Chegg claims that Google’s use of its market power is a type of illegal trading that harms competition, violating the Sherman Act.
They referenced a previous ruling where a federal judge stated that Google holds a monopoly in the search market. Chegg emphasized that their extensive and high-quality educational content is very valuable for AI technologies.
Chegg is the latest among many companies that have sued Google for allegedly misusing their intellectual property.
This case marks a new strategy, as many lawsuits have focused on copyright issues. As of January 2025, there have been 38 copyright-related lawsuits concerning AI in the U.S., with various outcomes so far.
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