UK Considers Forcing Google to Offer Alternative Search Options and Fairer Rankings
CMA Proposes Strategic Market Status, Aims for More Choice and Control
The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is consulting on whether to designate Google with “strategic market status,” a move that could require the tech giant to offer alternative search options, rank results more fairly, and give publishers more control over their content used in search and AI features.
- This comes under the new digital markets competition regime that began earlier this year.
Measures Proposed for Google
If designated, Google would be compelled to:
- Provide choice screens for users to select or switch between search services, including AI assistants.
- Apply fair ranking principles to its search results.
- Give publishers greater control over how their content is used in Google’s AI services like AI Overviews and Gemini AI Assistant.
- Enable users to transfer their data (e.g., search history) more easily.
Rationale and Market Impact
CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell highlighted that Google commands over 90% of all general search queries in the UK, and that UK businesses spent over £33,000 per advertiser on Google search ads last year.
- Cardell argued that more competition would lower costs for businesses and unlock innovation in the UK tech sector.
Next Steps and Industry Response
The CMA is currently seeking feedback from industry stakeholders, with a final decision on Google’s designation due by October 13.
- If approved, these measures would mark a significant shift in how Google operates in the UK market, impacting search, advertising, AI integration, and data portability.
