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UK Assigns Google Strategic Market Status in Search and Advertising

The decision starts a CMA consultation on tailored conduct rules under the new digital‑markets regime.

The Google logo is seen outside the company's offices in London, Britain, June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
London, UK - 14 July, 2025: long exposure shot depicting the blurred motion of people outside the Google headquarters at King's Cross in London. It is the first building owned and designed by Google outside the United States.
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FILE - A Google sign is displayed at the company's office in San Francisco, April 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Overview

  • The CMA concluded Google holds substantial, entrenched power with more than 90% of UK searches.
  • The designation covers Google Search features including AI Overviews and AI Mode, with Gemini excluded and kept under review.
  • No immediate obligations apply, and the regulator will consult this year on potential measures such as choice screens, fair ranking rules, data portability, and greater publisher control over AI use.
  • Google warns proposed interventions could slow product launches and hinder innovation, with some businesses warning they may be forced to raise prices.
  • This is the first strategic market status action under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, with a separate decision on Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems due later in October.