Google Terminates Financial Times Subscription Amid Broader Cost-Cutting Measures

Overview of Recent Changes at Google

In a significant move, Google has decided to discontinue its enterprise subscription to the Financial Times, a decision that is part of a wider trend of cuts impacting various enterprise media subscriptions. Sources indicate that these reductions are aligned with Google’s ongoing efforts to streamline costs, even as the tech giant reports robust financial performance.

Cost Reduction Initiatives

Over the course of 2025, Google has been engaged in extensive cost-management strategies. This includes a reduction of 35% in managerial roles overseeing small teams and introducing voluntary exit programs within several departments since January. During a recent financial briefing, CFO Anat Ashkenazi highlighted the company’s commitment to further cost optimization, suggesting that this initiative remains a priority despite Alphabet’s strong second-quarter earnings, which totaled $96.4 billion.

Declining Referral Traffic to News Publishers

These expenditure cuts might provide limited savings for Google and coincide with growing tensions between the company and news publishers. Recent data from the trade association Digital Content Next revealed a 10% decrease in median referral traffic from Google Search to media outlets between May and June of this year. Notably, non-news brands experienced an even steeper decline of 14%.

Several prominent news organizations, including CNN, Business Insider, and HuffPost, have reported more severe drops in traffic of 30%, 40%, and 40%, respectively, according to SimilarWeb data.

Impact of AI Features on Click-Through Rates

Publishers attribute these decreases largely to Google’s AI Overviews functionality, which has led to a notable reduction in click-through rates to external websites—from 56% to 69% since its introduction. A recent Pew Research analysis, which surveyed 900 U.S. adults, found that six out of ten participants conducted at least one Google search in March 2025 that yielded an AI-generated summary.

Industry Criticism of Google’s Practices

Some industry observers have drawn parallels between Google’s decision to cancel its Financial Times subscription and refusing to invest in sources while benefiting from their content. Notably, Neil Vogel, CEO of the largest digital and print publisher in the U.S., People Inc., openly criticized Google at a recent Fortune event, labeling the company a “bad actor” for allegedly utilizing the same automated processes to scrape websites for its search engine and its AI functionalities.

In a related critique, Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next, expressed concerns in an op-ed this summer regarding Google’s AI overviews, describing them as fostering a “zero-click” environment that ultimately directs all traffic to Google itself.

Conclusion

As Google navigates through its cost-cutting initiatives, the implications for both its financials and its relationships with content publishers remain significant. The tech giant did not comment on the ongoing situation when reached for a statement.

For those following the ongoing challenges in the relationship between tech giants and traditional media, this development serves as a crucial point of reflection on the evolving dynamics in digital content distribution.