UK Watchdog To Increase Control Over Google Search

The United Kingdom’s antitrust watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), said on Tuesday it will increase measures to address concerns about Google’s dominance in search services.

The agency has proposed a roadmap outlining potential actions for Google, including requiring choice screens for users and fairer business rankings. A final decision is expected by October.

According to the official press release, Google accounts for 90% of all search queries in the UK, and over 200,000 businesses rely on the search engine for advertising to reach their customers.

The CMA is not accusing Google of anti-competitive practices—as is currently happening in U.S. trials—but has raised concerns about fair competition.

The agency’s investigation highlighted multiple issues, including Google’s lack of transparency on how search results are ranked, its access to vast amounts of data, and the challenges publishers face in controlling their content and revenue. The CMA proposes a “pro-innovation approach” with new measures and actions to address these concerns.

“The UK’s new Digital Markets Competition Regime can help unlock opportunities for innovation and growth, by promoting competition in digital markets while protecting UK consumers and businesses from unfair or harmful practices,” states the document. “Measures are designed to promote competition and innovation in ways that benefit the UK economy, while ensuring that UK consumers and businesses are treated fairly.”

The CMA published a roadmap with measures and actions prioritized by importance. Early measures include requiring choice screens so users can select from different search providers—including AI-based options—ensuring fair ranking principles, providing more transparency and control for publishers (including over AI-generated responses), and supporting new businesses by enabling easier market entry.

“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,” said Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA.