UK Proposes Increased Regulatory Control Over Google Search

UK Proposes Increased Regulatory Control Over Google Search
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Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced Tuesday its proposal to designate Google with “strategic market status,” giving the regulator greater authority to oversee how the tech giant operates its search services in the UK, Dawn E-Paper reported.

Google currently dominates the UK search market, accounting for over 90% of general search queries. Millions of users rely on Google as their primary gateway to the internet, and more than 200,000 UK businesses depend on Google search advertising to reach customers.

The CMA’s proposed measures aim to enhance competition by making it easier for users to access alternative search providers and ensuring fair ranking practices for businesses appearing in Google search results. The regulator also plans to increase transparency and control for publishers whose content appears on Google’s platform.

This designation would be the first under the UK’s new Digital Markets Competition Regime, which grants the CMA expanded powers to promote innovation and protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices in digital markets.

Google expressed concerns about the broad and unfocused scope of the CMA’s considerations, warning that potential interventions are being contemplated without sufficient evidence, according to Oliver Bethell, Google’s senior director for competition.