UK Plans New Rules to Curb Google’s Search Power
A Game of Monopoly: CMA Proposes “Fair Ranking” and SMS Designation
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has signaled a landmark shift in digital regulation by proposing to loosen Alphabet-owned Google’s iron grip on its flagship search engine. Under the first application of Britain’s new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, the CMA is exploring a set of “fair ranking” measures and enhanced publisher controls that could fundamentally reshape how search results are compiled, displayed and monetized.
Background: Britain’s Digital Markets Regime
Enacted earlier this year, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act establishes the Strategic Market Status (SMS) label for platforms with outsized influence. Following an investigation launched in January 2025, the CMA determined that Google’s combined share of both general search (over 90%) and search advertising (above 85%) warrants an SMS designation. A public consultation runs through September, with a final decision expected in October.
“Google is the world’s leading search tool and plays an important role in all our lives,” said Sarah Cardell, CEO of the CMA. “Our investigation suggests there are ways to make these markets more open, competitive and innovative.”
Key Proposals Under Consideration
- Fair Ranking Measures: Algorithms must surface results based on transparent criteria such as relevance scoring (e.g., BM25, neural re-rankers) rather than commercial weight.
- Publisher Controls: News outlets and content creators gain opt-in APIs (RESTful or GraphQL) to specify snippet usage, AI-training exclusions and real-time analytics for traffic attribution.
- Choice Screens for End Users: Partners like Apple must prompt users with alternative search engines at OS setup, leveraging standard mobile intents or webview redirects.
Technical Implementation Challenges
Embedding “fair ranking” into a multi-billion-query-per-day system demands granular telemetry, fairness-aware machine learning pipelines and exhaustive A/B testing. Google would need to expose ranking signals (e.g., PageRank, BERT embeddings, RankBrain scores) through secure APIs, while preserving user privacy via techniques like differential privacy and on-device processing.
Impact on AI-Driven Features
With AI-driven summaries and chat experiences increasingly integrated into search, publishers fear their content could be repurposed without proper attribution or licensing. The CMA’s proposals aim to enforce rights management at the data ingestion layer, requiring explicit permission for AI training. Experts warn that delays in model updates or region-specific feature rollouts could follow if Google needs to build localized compliance pipelines.
Global Implications and Comparisons
The UK’s approach mirrors the EU Digital Markets Act but goes further by mandating technical interfaces for publishers and end users. In contrast, the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust suit seeks structural remedies, including restricting contracts with device makers. The CMA’s model could become a blueprint for regulators in India, Australia and Brazil, each grappling with Big Tech dominance.
Expert Opinions
“Implementing transparent ranking at scale is non-trivial,” said Dr. Emily Zhang, senior researcher at the Alan Turing Institute. “It requires open APIs, rigorous privacy safeguards and ongoing audits to prevent manipulation.”
Next Steps and Economic Considerations
While Google has criticized the proposals as “broad and unfocused,” warning of potential delays in deploying its latest AI products in the UK, the government has explicitly tasked the CMA with balancing competition and growth. Google’s announced $1 billion data center near London underscores ongoing investment commitments, even as regulatory scrutiny intensifies.