UK Regulator Launches First Investigation Under New Digital Markets Law Targeting Google

The Competition and Markets Authority is examining Google's dominance in search and advertising, including its use of publisher data for AI tools.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened an investigation into Google's search and advertising services under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC).
The probe will determine if Google holds 'Strategic Market Status' (SMS), granting regulators the authority to impose remedies and sanctions on the company.
Key areas of focus include Google's dominance in search, its impact on advertisers and rival search engines, and its use of publisher content to train AI models without fair compensation.
The CMA is also assessing whether Google's AI tools, such as its AI Overviews feature, unfairly redirect traffic away from publishers' websites and harm competition.
A final decision on Google's SMS designation is expected by October, which could lead to measures like increased data-sharing requirements or restrictions on how Google uses publisher content.