AI-Driven ‘Zero Clicks’ Phenomenon Threatens Democracy; News Outlets Must Be Able to Recover Costs, Stay Independent

The Yomiuri Shimbun

7:00 JST, December 26, 2025

The Japan Fair Trade Commission’s probe into generative AI is fueled by a growing sense of alarm over the future of democracy. Should the exploitation of news articles without compensation persist, media organizations’ very survival will be at risk, threatening the existence of essential institutions that sustain a functioning democracy.

As AI searches accelerate the “zero-click” phenomenon — where users finish their searches without clicking through to original websites — urgent measures are required to ensure that news organizations can sustain their vital role as guardians of democracy.

Feeding off news

“AI search engines feed off news content as the essential nutrients for their services. If we allow this one-sided consumption without compensation to continue, it could jeopardize the existence of news organizations,” a JFTC official warned.

AI search services use AI to summarize information from the internet to generate answers to users’ questions in a conversational format. This offers users the convenience of immediate answers, as opposed to inputting keywords.

However, this very efficiency poses a threat to media outlets, as summarized content discourages users from visiting the original websites.

On standard search result pages, users are presented with a list of relevant links, prompting them to click through to individual websites to gather the information they need.

In this model, news organizations and other website operators generate revenue by showing ads to visitors. This created a mutually beneficial relationship in which search engines ensured a steady inflow of visitors, allowing news organizations to remain financially viable.

However, when AI summarizes information from multiple sources, users often find the summary sufficient and stop visiting the original sites. This puts publishers in a precarious position because the content they produce at great cost is unilaterally siphoned off, severing the vital ad revenue they previously relied on.

AI models also ingest misinformation and disinformation from across the web. Excessive reliance on AI risks narrowing user perspectives and entrenching biases. If left unchecked, this trend could fuel social polarization and fundamentally undermine democracy.

Zero-click

The zero-click phenomenon is rapidly gaining momentum. According to a research company, Value Inc., the zero-click rate has been on the rise since Google began incorporating AI-powered summaries into its search results in August 2024, reaching 64% in November this year.

“The zero-click rate is particularly pronounced among younger generations with high AI adoption rates,” predicts Yoshiaki Roberto Saito, who led the research. “The more AI tools permeate every demographic, the more this trend is likely to accelerate.”

Also in Europe

The JFTC considers this situation to be serious and has launched an investigation into whether IT companies are unjustly exploiting news articles to power their AI search services. This probe will include formal interviews with the businesses involved to assess the fairness of their practices.

AI searches are under intense scrutiny in Europe as well. On Dec. 9, the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, announced an antitrust probe into Google.

The commission alleges that Google’s generative AI search services use news content without providing adequate compensation or a meaningful opt-out option for publishers.

“AI companies should be raked over the coals for breaching established internet norms and reaping profits through the collection and summarization of news content,” said Associate Professor Atsushi Udagawa of Musashi University.

“In an era where the internet and AI make information increasingly susceptible to manipulation, the role of news organizations as providers of verified, primary information is more vital than ever,” Udagawa said. “We must ensure an environment where news outlets can have a situation in which profitability is maintained.”