Demands on Google: British competition authority wants to improve search engine

Google is soon to change internet search in the UK to display better results for searchers and businesses. The British competition authority has announced this and listed several changes that are to be introduced as a first step. These include options to easily select search providers – and potentially AI tools – ensuring “fair and non-discriminatory” rankings in search results, more transparency and control options for media companies and a commitment to data portability. These are only initial measures; further changes are to be specified from 2026.

Criticism from Google

The measures now announced are based on a classification by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), according to which Google has “strategic market status” (SMS). This allows the authority to demand certain measures to strengthen competition. However, the classification does not mean that the US company is accused of distorting competition, explains the CMA. But because Google is used for more than 90 percent of all internet searches in the UK and the service is therefore important for the economy and society, competition should be protected here. The CMA launched the investigation in January.

Google would therefore have to make “targeted and proportionate” changes to give people and businesses in the UK more choice and control over their contacts with Google. The measures now listed are early changes with high priority, but more are to follow. The plan is to introduce a series of further measures in the first half of next year to address more complex issues. Google has already criticized the CMA's initial proposals to the BBC as “broad and unfocused”, but has assured that it intends to work “constructively” with the regulatory authority.

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(mho)