German courts are increasingly holding Google liable for content generated by its AI Overviews feature. In late May, the Munich Regional Court ruled that Google is directly responsible for AI-generated summaries, classifying them as the company's own statements rather than neutral search results.
Following the Munich case, which ended in a private settlement, the Aachen Regional Court issued a similar ruling on September 24, 2026. The court banned Google from spreading false claims about a local physician, noting that the AI produced independent and substantive statements.
The Aachen court determined that Google is responsible for the accuracy of its AI output. The judge suggested that Google could verify these statements by comparing them against source websites, noting that the errors could have been caught if the system had processed the doctor's objections.
The court acted on an emergency basis, imposing potential fines of up to €250 000 per violation if Google fails to comply with the injunction. The decision remains subject to challenge by the company, as it is not yet final.
These rulings suggest a consistent legal trend in Germany. If higher courts establish that AI answers constitute original content, it could force Google to compensate publishers whose data is used to train or feed these models, potentially disrupting the company's AI search business model.
