The UK has taken a major step in regulating Big Tech by giving Google “strategic market status” in online search — the first time the country’s new powers to curb tech giants’ dominance
have been used.
The move, announced Friday by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), means regulators can now require Google’s parent company, Alphabet, to make changes to how its search business operates in the UK.
“Google holds a strategic position in the search and search advertising market, with more than 90% of all UK searches happening on its platform,” said Will Hayter, the CMA’s Executive Director for Digital Markets.
The designation doesn’t accuse Google of wrongdoing, nor does it impose immediate rules. However, it gives the CMA the authority to step in if it sees practices that limit competition or innovation.
Responding to the decision, Oliver Bethell, Google’s Senior Director for Competition, warned that potential interventions “could hinder UK innovation and growth” and might slow product launches during a time of rapid AI-driven change.
The CMA emphasized that any measures it takes will be “targeted and proportionate,” aimed at promoting fair competition and boosting innovation across the UK tech sector. In June, it outlined possible steps such as fairer search result rankings and greater visibility for alternative search engines. Photo by brionv, Wikimedia commons.