UK Regulator Moves to Rein in Google’s Search Power with Strategic Market Status
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced plans to designate Google with “strategic market status” (SMS), aiming to gain greater oversight of the tech giant’s search operations. This proposed designation, the first under the CMA’s newly expanded powers, would allow the regulator to intervene more forcefully in how Google ranks search results and handles content. The goal is to promote fairness, increase competition, and provide greater control to users and businesses.
Under the proposed designation, Google would be required to ensure more equitable ranking practices for businesses in its search engine results. Additionally, the CMA wants to make it easier for users to access competing search engines and for publishers to gain more insight and control over how their content appears in Google’s results. A major aim is also to boost data portability to foster innovation and allow new tech firms to enter the market more easily.
The CMA emphasized Google’s dominant presence in the UK, where it handles over 90% of all search queries. While acknowledging the benefits Google has brought to users and businesses, CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said the market requires more openness and competition. She outlined a plan for “targeted and proportionate actions” that could increase user choice, support business innovation, and contribute to a more competitive tech environment in the UK.
Google responded cautiously to the announcement, expressing concern over the broad and premature nature of the CMA’s proposals. Oliver Bethell, Google’s senior director for competition, stated that interventions were being discussed without sufficient supporting evidence, and warned of the potential impact on both consumers and businesses that rely on Google services in the UK.
The CMA’s proposal is set to be finalized in October 2025, with further long-term regulatory actions expected to begin in 2026. These could address deeper concerns such as Google’s handling of rival specialized search services and transparency in advertising practices. If implemented, the UK’s approach may set a precedent for how other global regulators tackle the dominance of big tech firms in the digital economy.
Source: Reuters