Google May Be Compelled to Modify Search Engine Under UK Oversight
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has taken a significant step by designating Google with “strategic market status” under a law that came into force in January 2025. The decision does not accuse Google of wrongdoing, but it opens the door to proportionate, targeted interventions intended to increase consumer choice and promote competition in search and search advertising. The CMA said its evidence shows Google maintains a strategic position in the sector, with more than 90% of searches in the UK taking place on its platform, and that designation allows the regulator to consider measures to correct market imbalances.
The CMA has published a roadmap of possible measures it could introduce if it proceeds: these include introducing “choice screens” that provide users with visible options for alternative search providers, giving publishers more control over how their content is used by search services, setting out fair principles for how websites are ranked, and establishing an effective complaints process for businesses that believe they are unfairly listed. The regulator said it expects to begin a consultation on what changes might be introduced later in 2025.
Google has pushed back against proposals it says could harm innovation and slow product launches at a time of rapid AI-driven change. In a company blog post, Google’s competition lead Oliver Bethell highlighted the company’s contribution to the UK economy — noting Google Search contributed an estimated £118 billion in 2023 — and warned that many of the suggested interventions “would inhibit UK innovation and growth.” Consumer groups, however, have welcomed the CMA’s move. Which? policy boss Rocio Concha described the decision as “an important step,” saying the CMA’s evidence makes a compelling argument and that action is needed to tackle the harmful dominance Google now holds as search evolves alongside generative AI tools.
This development in the UK sits alongside other global regulatory actions targeting Big Tech. In the US, recent court rulings have required changes affecting Google’s Play Store, while the company has also faced large fines in Europe — most recently a €2.95bn (£2.5bn) penalty in September for alleged abuses in the ad tech sector. For now, the CMA’s designation is a procedural but powerful move: it does not impose immediate remedies, but it signals that the regulator has the legal authority to design and consult on interventions aimed at restoring competition and increasing user choice in the UK digital search market.
