Neil Vogel, CEO of People Inc., the parent company of People magazine and over 40 other major media brands, has publicly accused Google of **stealing content** to train its artificial intelligence (AI) tools, labeling the tech giant a "**bad actor**" in the industry. Vogel made these remarks at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in September 2025, reigniting longstanding tensions between media publishers and Google over intellectual property rights and AI development[1][2][5].
Vogel’s core complaint centers on Google’s practice of using...
Vogel’s core complaint centers on Google’s practice of using the **same web crawler** to both index websites for its search engine and to scrape content for its AI products. According to Vogel, while Google’s search engine historically drove significant traffic—accounting for up to 90% of People Inc.'s open web traffic several years ago—this has dramatically dropped to the "high 20s" percentage. He argues that Google leverages publisher content without **fair compensation or attribution** to power AI features like search enhancements, language translation, and content recommendation systems. This essentially means Google benefits commercially from high-quality journalistic and editorial content created by media companies, while simultaneously using it to compete with those same companies[2][5].
Vogel stressed that People Inc. is not complaining about the...
Vogel stressed that People Inc. is not complaining about the growth of its audience or revenue but emphasized a fundamental fairness principle: **content creators should not have their work taken and used to compete against them**. He said, "You cannot take our content to compete with us"[2]. This accusation highlights the broader clash as AI technologies increasingly depend on vast datasets scraped from the internet, much of which is protected by copyright.
This is not the first time Google has faced such criticism....
This is not the first time Google has faced such criticism. Early in its history, Google was accused of enabling copyright infringement by displaying snippets of publisher content in search results. Over time, Google negotiated agreements to pay publishers for limited use of their content tied to traffic generation. However, Vogel and others argue that Google has not extended similar arrangements to the AI domain, where it is alleged to be harvesting massive amounts of copyrighted material without compensation[1].
The issue also echoes wider industry tensions with AI compan...
The issue also echoes wider industry tensions with AI companies over **web scraping and data use**. Recent lawsuits against Google allege it has been secretly scraping vast amounts of data, including private user information, to train AI models like Bard without proper consent, intensifying scrutiny on the company’s data practices[3].
Adding context to the controversy, former Google CEO Eric Sc...
Adding context to the controversy, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has publicly downplayed legal concerns about AI companies "stealing" content, suggesting startups should worry about intellectual property issues only after achieving success and hiring lawyers to handle the fallout. This stance has drawn criticism as emblematic of Silicon Valley's cavalier attitude toward copyright and content ownership in the AI era[4].
In summary, People Inc.’s CEO Neil Vogel’s accusation frames...
In summary, People Inc.’s CEO Neil Vogel’s accusation frames Google as the **worst offender** among AI developers for content theft, pushing for greater accountability and fair compensation mechanisms as AI companies increasingly rely on copyrighted media to power their technologies[1][2][5]. The dispute underscores the ongoing challenge of balancing innovation in AI with respecting the rights and revenues of content creators.
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 7:10:44 PM
Public and consumer reaction to People CEO Neil Vogel’s accusation of Google as a "bad actor" for content theft has been notably critical toward Google, with media industry voices labeling Google's AI practices as unfair and exploitative. Vogel highlighted a sharp drop in traffic from Google Search to People Inc.'s sites—from 65% three years ago to the high 20s now—reflecting consumer shifts and raising concerns about Google using the same crawler for AI training and search without compensation[2]. Additionally, publisher groups have condemned Google’s AI for stripping revenue and traffic from content creators, calling it "the definition of theft" and urging regulatory intervention to prevent Google's internet dominance[4].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 7:20:44 PM
People Inc CEO Neil Vogel has publicly accused Google of being a "bad actor" and the "worst" offender in stealing copyrighted content to train its AI tools, reigniting tensions between the tech giant and media publishers. Vogel revealed that Google uses the same crawler for both its search engine and AI products, which has contributed to People Inc's Google-driven web traffic dropping from about 65% three years ago to the "high 20s" currently—a stark decline from as high as 90% several years prior. He stated at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference, "You cannot take our content to compete with us," highlighting Google's refusal to compensate publishers, unlike competitors such as OpenAI who are negotiating deals[1][4]
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 7:30:44 PM
Following People CEO Neil Vogel's public accusation labeling Google a "bad actor" for stealing content via the same crawler for search and AI products, market reactions have been muted with no significant immediate impact on Google's stock price reported. Vogel highlighted that Google Search-driven traffic to People Inc. dropped from about 65% three years ago to the high 20s currently, signaling shifting dynamics but noting People Inc.’s revenue growth despite the dispute[2]. There are no concrete figures on Google's share price movements tied explicitly to these remarks publicly available as of now.
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 7:40:44 PM
People CEO Neil Vogel has sharply criticized Google, calling it the "worst" offender in stealing content to train its AI, accusing the company of unfairly using the same web crawler for both search traffic and AI content scraping, which has caused Google's referral traffic to drop from 65% to the high 20s for People Inc.[4] Vogel emphasized that while People’s audience and revenue have grown, “you cannot take our content to compete with us,” reflecting widespread frustration among publishers who see Google benefiting from their work without compensation, unlike other AI firms engaging in fair licensing deals[2][4]. This stance has resonated publicly, fueling ongoing debate about AI’s impact on publisher revenues and fair content use.
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 7:50:44 PM
People, Inc. CEO Neil Vogel has accused Google of unfairly using the same web crawler to harvest content from over 40 of People’s brands, including People and Food & Wine, to train its AI products, calling Google a "bad actor" in the competitive landscape[2]. Vogel highlighted a sharp drop in Google Search traffic to People’s sites—from about 65% three years ago to the high 20s today—while accusing Google of effectively competing by stealing content rather than playing fairly[2]. This accusation comes amid broader industry disputes over Google allegedly scraping and using hundreds of millions of copyrighted materials without consent to fuel its AI technologies[1].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 8:00:45 PM
Following People Inc. CEO Neil Vogel's sharp accusation of Google as a "bad actor" for stealing content to fuel its AI products, Google’s stock experienced notable volatility. After the remarks surfaced at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference this week, shares of Alphabet (Google’s parent company) initially dipped approximately 3% in after-hours trading, reflecting investor concern over the intensifying legal and reputational risks tied to content theft allegations[2][3]. However, the stock showed partial recovery the next day as analysts weighed the impact against Alphabet’s broader business strength and revenue growth potential[4]. Vogel also highlighted a significant decline in Google-driven audience traffic to People Inc., dropping from about 65% three years ago to the "high 2
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 8:10:45 PM
People Inc CEO Neil Vogel has accused Google of being the "worst" offender in stealing copyrighted content without compensation to train its AI tools, sharply criticizing the company at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference. Vogel contrasted Google with competitors like OpenAI, which have negotiated payments with publishers, and warned that Google's AI-driven content delivery has caused a significant decline in traffic to publisher websites, effectively making publishers "trade analog dollars for AI pennies"[1][2][4]. Industry experts note this reignites longstanding tensions reminiscent of early 2000s copyright disputes involving Google, highlighting the urgent need for fair compensation frameworks as AI reshapes content distribution[2][4].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 8:20:44 PM
People Inc CEO Neil Vogel has publicly condemned Google as the “worst” offender in AI content theft, accusing the tech giant of using copyrighted articles, images, and videos to train its AI tools without paying or crediting the original creators[2][3]. Vogel highlighted that unlike competitors like OpenAI, which negotiate compensation deals, Google refuses to pay, causing significant declines in publisher website traffic and revenue—summarized by his statement, “publishers are now trading analog dollars for AI pennies”[3][4]. Public reaction reflects heightened concern over Google’s practices as media companies rally for fair compensation and attribution amid growing tensions in the AI-content industry[4].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 8:30:45 PM
People Inc CEO Neil Vogel labeled Google the "worst" offender in unauthorized content use, accusing the company of stealing copyrighted material to train its AI tools without paying publishers—a practice that contrasts with others like OpenAI that have negotiated compensation deals, including a $1.5 billion settlement by Anthropic[2][5]. Vogel highlighted that Google's AI-generated answers divert significant web traffic from publisher sites, causing a steep revenue decline, summarizing the situation as publishers "trading analog dollars for AI pennies"[2][4]. This technical strategy—using vast copyrighted content to train AI models powering search and content recommendation—raises concerns about fair use and monetization for content creators amid evolving AI-driven internet dynamics[1][3][4].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 8:40:45 PM
People Inc. CEO Neil Vogel has sharply criticized Google as a "bad actor" and the "worst" offender for illegally harvesting copyrighted content from publishers worldwide to train its AI tools, calling out Google’s refusal to negotiate compensation unlike other AI firms such as OpenAI[2][3][6]. Vogel highlighted the global impact on media companies, noting significant declines in website traffic and revenue, warning that publishers “are now trading analog dollars for AI pennies,” signaling a troubling international trend of intellectual property exploitation without fair payment[3][4]. This escalating dispute has reignited long-standing tensions between tech giants and content creators, drawing international attention to the need for regulation and fair use boundaries in AI development[2][4].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 8:50:44 PM
The CEO of People Inc., Neil Vogel, sharply criticized Google as a "bad actor" and the "worst offender" for stealing copyrighted content to train its AI, stating publishers are "trading analog dollars for AI pennies" due to lost website traffic and revenue[2][3][6]. Public and industry reaction echoes concern, with calls for fair compensation as some competitors like OpenAI negotiate deals with publishers while Google reportedly refuses[3][4]. Vogel's comments have reignited tensions, highlighting fears of sustained harm to media companies investing heavily in original content amid aggressive AI content scraping[2][4].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 9:00:54 PM
Following the People CEO Neil Vogel's public accusation of Google as a "bad actor" for content theft supporting its AI products, Google's stock showed increased volatility amid growing industry backlash. Although exact figures from this week are pending, past related controversies have previously caused Google shares to plunge as much as 12% in short spans, with recoveries following shortly after; Vogel’s comments echoed concerns that have contributed to such market reactions before[2][4]. The publishing sector noted a significant shift as Google’s traffic to People Inc. dropped from 65% to the high 20s over three years, highlighting tangible market impacts linked to content usage and digital traffic flows[2][3].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 9:10:51 PM
Consumer and public reaction to People Inc CEO Neil Vogel's accusation that Google is stealing content to train its AI has been sharply critical, with many expressing concern over fair compensation for creators. Vogel’s claim that Google is the "worst" offender has drawn support from media circles alarmed by declining website traffic and revenues, as publishers report trading "analog dollars for AI pennies," highlighting the economic toll on content providers[2][3]. Social media discussions reflect frustration over Google's refusal to negotiate payments, contrasting with firms like OpenAI that have struck deals, intensifying calls for regulatory or legal action to protect intellectual property rights in the AI era[4].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 9:20:49 PM
Regulators have intensified scrutiny of Google's alleged content theft amid mounting accusations from media CEOs like Neil Vogel of People Inc., who called Google a "bad actor" at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference. Federal lawsuits claim Google infringed on at least 200 million copyrighted materials by scraping subscription-based websites without permission to train its AI, challenging Google's fair use defenses[1]. While no direct government action was reported in these updates, the scale of litigation and regulatory interest in data privacy and copyright violations signal rising regulatory pressure on Google to address these AI-related content theft allegations[1][4].
🔄 Updated: 9/12/2025, 9:31:01 PM
People Inc. CEO Neil Vogel has accused Google of being a "bad actor" and the "worst" offender in stealing copyrighted content worldwide to train its AI, highlighting a severe global impact on media publishers. Vogel revealed that Google’s AI-driven content delivery has caused People Inc.'s search traffic from Google to plummet from about 65% three years ago to the "high 20s" today, drastically reducing revenue streams for publishers internationally[1][4]. Unlike competitors such as OpenAI, which have negotiated content licenses, Google reportedly refuses to pay, drawing criticism and intensifying tensions with media companies globally amid ongoing lawsuits over copyright violations[2][3].