Google Faces UK Scrutiny Over Search Dominance as Regulator Moves to Boost Competition
Google may soon be forced to give users in the United Kingdom more freedom to choose which search engine they use, following a landmark decision by the country’s competition regulator.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially designated Google with “strategic market status (SMS)” under a new digital markets law that came into force earlier this year. The designation marks a significant turning point in how large tech firms are regulated in the UK and could pave the way for stricter rules to level the playing field for smaller competitors.
While the CMA stressed that the move does not imply wrongdoing by Google at this stage, it gives the regulator the authority to impose “proportionate, targeted interventions” aimed at increasing market competition.
A Move Toward Greater User Choice
The CMA’s decision could lead to new measures such as requiring Google to offer choice screens that allow users to select alternative search engines—similar to what the European Union mandated years ago. The goal is to reduce Google’s near-total dominance in the search market, where it currently handles over 90% of all UK web searches.
CMA digital markets head Will Hayter said the authority’s findings make it clear that Google occupies a powerful position in the digital search and advertising ecosystem.
“We have found that Google maintains a strategic position in the search and search advertising sector, with more than 90% of searches in the UK taking place on its platform,” Hayter said.
“Having considered industry feedback, we have today designated Google’s search services with strategic market status.”
The CMA now plans to begin a consultation process in 2025 to determine what specific changes will be introduced to ensure fair competition and consumer choice.
Google Pushes Back on Regulatory Plans
In response, Google has cautioned against measures it says could hurt UK innovation and economic growth.
Oliver Bethell, Google’s head of competition for the UK, published a blog post defending the company’s role in driving innovation and economic value.
“UK businesses and consumers have been among the first to benefit from Google’s innovations, often months before their European counterparts,” Bethell wrote.
“Google Search contributes billions of pounds a year to the UK economy—£118 billion in 2023 alone. Many of the proposed interventions could slow product launches and limit innovation, especially at a time of rapid AI-based development.”
Google argues that its products have not only benefited users through innovation but also supported small and medium-sized businesses across the country through advertising and analytics tools.
Potential Measures and the CMA’s “Roadmap”
The CMA previously outlined a roadmap of potential actions that could be applied to companies with strategic market status. These include:
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Introducing search engine choice screens to encourage competition.
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Granting publishers and website owners greater control over how their content is indexed and used by Google.
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Creating “fair ranking principles” to make sure all websites are treated equitably in search results.
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Setting up a transparent and effective complaints process for businesses that believe they have been unfairly ranked or penalized.
Consumer advocacy group Which? praised the CMA’s move, calling it an “important step” toward balancing the digital marketplace.
“The CMA’s careful evidence gathering makes a compelling argument,” said Rocio Concha, Which?’s policy director.
“Online search is evolving rapidly as generative AI tools become more widely used, but regulators must still act to tackle the harmful dominance Google currently holds.”
A Global Pattern of Scrutiny for Google
The CMA’s actions are part of a wider global trend of increased scrutiny against major tech platforms. Regulators across the world are questioning whether companies like Google, Apple, and Meta have become too powerful in their respective markets.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in a ruling that requires sweeping changes to Google’s Play Store operations, in response to antitrust concerns raised by developers.
Meanwhile, in Europe, Google was hit with a €2.95 billion (£2.5 billion) fine by the European Union in September for allegedly abusing its dominance in the ad tech market—the technology that determines which digital ads appear and where.
While Google faces increasing challenges in multiple regions, it has also scored some legal wins. In the U.S., the company recently avoided a potential order that could have forced it to divest key assets, such as the Chrome browser or its Android operating system.
Balancing Innovation and Regulation
The ongoing debate between innovation and regulation is central to the CMA’s new powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. The law, introduced in January 2025, gives the regulator expanded authority to oversee digital platforms considered to have an entrenched market position.
Under the new regime, the CMA can set legally binding conduct requirements to ensure fair practices, promote competition, and protect consumers from potential abuses of power. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to 10% of global turnover.
Supporters of tighter oversight argue that these steps are crucial to preventing monopolistic behavior and ensuring smaller firms can thrive. Critics, however, warn that too much regulation could slow innovation, limit investment, and reduce the UK’s competitiveness in emerging tech sectors, especially artificial intelligence.
What Happens Next
The CMA will now open consultations to gather feedback from industry stakeholders, businesses, and consumers before finalizing its decisions on which measures to implement. Analysts expect new rules to come into effect by late 2025 or early 2026.
While the full impact remains to be seen, the decision marks a defining moment for tech regulation in the UK—and a potential model for other countries seeking to balance innovation with fair competition.
For Google, the outcome will determine whether it can maintain its near-total dominance in UK search or will have to adapt to a future where users have a clearer, freer choice in how they navigate the web.