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Google may soon be required to make significant changes to how its search engine operates in the United Kingdom, following a landmark ruling from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The UK’s competition regulator has formally designated Google with “strategic market status” (SMS) under new digital competition laws that came into effect in January 2025. The decision marks a major step toward reshaping the online search market and could eventually compel the tech giant to offer users greater choice of search engines.
While the move does not indicate any immediate finding of wrongdoing, the CMA said it could now pursue “proportionate, targeted interventions” to ensure fairer competition in the digital marketplace.
CMA: Google’s Market Power Is ‘Unquestionable’
According to the regulator, Google maintains a dominant position in online search, controlling more than 90% of all search queries in the UK.
“We have found that Google holds a strategic position in the search and search advertising sector,” said Will Hayter, the CMA’s digital markets director. “Having taken into account feedback from our proposed decision, we have now formally designated Google’s search services with strategic market status.”
The designation allows the CMA to impose specific rules and oversight mechanisms aimed at promoting competition and consumer choice. The regulator plans to launch a public consultation later in 2025 to determine what changes may be required.
Roadmap of Possible Interventions
The CMA previously outlined a “roadmap” of measures that could be introduced if a company was granted strategic market status. For Google, these may include:
- Introducing “choice screens” allowing users to select their preferred search engine when setting up devices or browsers.
- Granting publishers greater control over how their content is used and displayed in search results.
- Enforcing “fair ranking principles” to ensure businesses are treated equitably in search listings.
- Establishing a clear and effective complaints process for companies dissatisfied with their search visibility.
Consumer advocacy groups have welcomed the move. Rocio Concha, policy director at Which?, described the ruling as “an important step toward restoring balance in the digital economy.”
“The CMA’s evidence-gathering provides a compelling case for reform,” she said. “While AI-driven search tools are transforming how people access information, the regulator must still address the harmful dominance Google currently holds.”
Google Warns of Risks to Innovation
In response to the announcement, Google emphasized the economic benefits its products bring to the UK and warned that regulatory changes could slow innovation.
“UK businesses and consumers have been among the first to benefit from Google’s innovations — often months before their European counterparts,” wrote Oliver Bethell, Google’s competition director, in a company blog post.
“Google Search alone contributed £118 billion to the UK economy in 2023,” Bethell added. “Many of the proposed interventions could inhibit UK innovation and growth, potentially delaying product launches at a time of rapid AI-based development.”
Google maintains that the current competitive framework already benefits both consumers and businesses by providing access to advanced search technologies and tools.
Global Scrutiny of Google’s Market Dominance
The UK’s action comes amid a broader global crackdown on Big Tech’s market influence. Authorities in multiple jurisdictions are questioning whether Google’s dominance in digital markets has stifled competition and innovation.
In the United States, the Supreme Court this week declined to intervene in a lower court ruling requiring sweeping reforms to the Google Play Store, a major setback for the company’s app distribution model.
However, Google scored a separate legal victory in the same jurisdiction, where regulators had considered forcing it to divest key assets like Chrome or Android — an outcome the company successfully avoided.
Meanwhile, in September 2025, the European Union imposed a €2.95 billion (£2.5 billion) fine against Google, accusing it of abusing dominance in the ad tech market — the system that determines how and where digital advertisements are placed online.
What Happens Next
The CMA said its goal is not to punish Google but to encourage fair competition and protect consumers’ ability to choose between different services. The upcoming consultation period will help determine the specific interventions necessary to achieve those aims.
The authority’s decision marks one of the first major tests of the UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, a sweeping reform law intended to curb monopolistic practices among the world’s largest technology firms.
If enforced, the CMA’s measures could set a global precedent for regulating powerful digital platforms and reshape how search engines operate in one of Google’s most lucrative markets.
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