The UK’s competition regulator is coming after Google – here’s how searches are set to change
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed designating Google with ‘strategic market status’ in general search and search advertising.
If the designation is approved, the CMA would be able to introduce targeted measures to address specific aspects of how Google operates search services in the UK.
The CMA has also published a roadmap of potential actions it could prioritise were Google to be designated. Early priorities include:
- Reguired choice screens for users to access different search providers;
- Ensuring fair ranking principles for businesses appearing on Google search;
- More transparency and control for publishers whose content appears in search results;
- Portability of consumer search data to support innovation in new products and services.
Google search accounts for more than 90% of all general search queries in the UK, with millions of people relying on it as a key gateway to the internet and more than 200,000 businesses in the UK relying on Google search advertising to reach their customers. These services matter to the economy and society, so it is vital that competition works well, the CMA said.
The CMA’s investigation has heard concerns, including:
- Google’s index of billions of websites, its access to trillions of historical searches, and its ecosystem of information are extremely hard for others to replicate.
- Higher costs of search advertising than would be expected in a more competitive market.
- Limited transparency and fairness in how Google ranks and presents search results.
- Publishers can face challenges in securing fair terms and control over how their content is used in Google’s search and AI-generated responses.
- Default agreements with mobile device manufacturers can make it more difficult for competitors to reach customers.
- Innovative businesses can struggle to compete as people can’t easily share their search data with firms developing new services.
The CMA plans to consider a second category of actions to address more complex issues over a longer period (starting in the first half of 2026).
These include concerns about the impact of Google’s bargaining position on publishers, its treatment of rival specialised search firms, and concerns about transparency and control in relation to search advertising.
The CMA said it has also carefully considered how generative AI is changing the search landscape. While the use of AI assistants is growing, it remains significantly smaller than Google Search. Google is already incorporating generative AI features, such as AI overviews, into its search products and developing its own assistant, Gemini.
The CMA’s proposed SMS designation would include AI-based search features, though not Gemini AI Assistant itself. This position will be kept under review as usage evolves.
“Google is the world’s leading search tool and plays an important role in all our lives, with the average person in the UK making 5 to 10 searches a day. It is equally critical for over 200,000 UK businesses which rely on Google to reach their customers,” said Sarah Cardell (Chief Executive of the CMA).
She added that Google search has delivered tremendous benefits, but our investigation so far suggests there are ways to make these markets more open, competitive and innovative.
“Today marks an important milestone in our implementation of the new Digital Markets Competition Regime in the UK. Alongside our proposed designation of Google’s search activities, we have set out a roadmap of possible future actions to improve outcomes for people and businesses in the UK.
“These targeted and proportionate actions would give UK businesses and consumers more choice and control over how they interact with Google’s search services, as well as unlocking greater opportunities for innovation across the UK tech sector and broader economy.”
