Reddit and Major Publishers Consider Blocking Google as AI Overviews Cut Search Referral Traffic

Reddit and several major publishers are reevaluating the amount of access they offer Google as search referral traffic declines following the rollout of AI Overviews, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal cited by TechSpot.

The companies considering restrictions include Reddit, USA Today, Reuters, Politico, The Economist, and People Inc. The concern is that Google's AI features are providing answers directly to users without redirecting traffic to the original sources.

Following the report, Reddit's shares dropped as much as 5.8% in premarket trading.

Reddit Weighs Blocking Google’s AI Use of Its Posts

Reddit has discussed the possibility of blocking Google from using its collection of user posts for AI purposes, according to the Wall Street Journal. The two companies are currently negotiating a potential renewal of a licensing agreement signed in 2024, which reportedly pays Reddit around $60 million annually.

Under the existing deal, Google receives a continuously updated source of human conversations for training its AI models, while Reddit received tens of millions of dollars before its IPO.

TechSpot reports that this arrangement now seems less advantageous for Reddit, as Google's AI products use the licensed data to answer questions without directing users back to Reddit.

The decline in traffic is not limited to Reddit. USA Today Co. is considering blocking Google's crawler if referral numbers continue to decrease. According to Semrush data cited by TechSpot, organic US Google traffic to the USA Today national site fell by nearly half between June 2025 and June 2026. Politico's traffic declined by 23%, CNN saw a drop of around 25%, and Business Insider experienced a decrease of more than 85%.

USA Today Co. CEO Mike Reed stated, "It's time to take a stand and say enough is enough."

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