Google may have to make changes to its UK search engine
Google may have to make changes in the UK so people have more choice over which search engine they use, following a landmark decision from the regulator.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has granted Google “strategic market status” under a law that came into force in January.
The decision does not mean that the regulatory body has found error at this stage.
Instead, it opens the door to what he called “proportionate and targeted interventions” to ensure market competitiveness.
Google has warned against any measures it says could “hinder innovation and growth in the UK”.
The Capital Markets Authority said it expects to begin consultations on the changes that may be introduced later in 2025.
In response to this announcement, Google attempted to emphasize what it saw as the advantages of the regulatory status quo.
“UK businesses and consumers were among the first to benefit from Google’s innovations, often months before their European counterparts,” Oliver Bethell, Google’s head of competition, wrote in a blog post.
“As a result, they see huge value: Google Search contributes billions of pounds a year to the UK economy – £118 billion in 2023 alone.
“Many of the intervention ideas raised in this process would inhibit innovation and growth in the UK, potentially slowing product launches at a time of deep AI-based innovation.”
The Capital Markets Authority said that Google’s dominance in the market cannot be denied.
“We found that Google maintains a strategic position in the search and search advertising sector – with more than 90% of UK searches occurring on its platform,” said Will Hayter, head of digital markets at the CMA.
“Taking into account the feedback we received following our proposed decision, today we assigned Google Search Services a strategic market status.”
Capital Markets Authority Previously revealed What it called a “roadmap” of potential measures that could be taken if Google turns out to have an outsized market position.
It said it could force the tech giant to include “choice screens” that let users see alternative search providers, as well as giving publishers more control over how their content is used.
It also included what it called “fair principles” for how websites were ranked in search results, and an “effective complaints process” for businesses unhappy with their inclusion.
This move has been well received by consumer groups, where? Policy chief Rocío Concha called it an “important step.”
“The CMA’s careful collection of evidence makes a compelling case,” she said.
“Online search is evolving as GenAI tools become more widely used, but the CMA still has to work to address the harmful dominance that Google now enjoys.”
This is not the only regulatory action the tech giant faces, as countries around the world consider whether it has become too dominant.
In the United States, the Supreme Court decided on Monday not to interfere with a judge’s order requiring sweeping changes to the Google Play Store.
But the technology company He won a fight in the same jurisdiction Because of long-term concerns it may have had to sell Chrome or Android.
It was fined €2.95bn (£2.5bn). By the European Union in Septemberfor allegedly abusing its power in the advertising technology sector – the technology that determines which ads should be placed on the Internet and where.