Overview

• The CMA opened its investigation in January under new digital market laws and on June 24 proposed granting Google strategic market status in search and advertising.
• Google handles over 90% of UK general search queries, with more than 200,000 businesses depending on its advertising to reach customers.
• The SMS designation would empower the CMA to mandate legal choice screens in Chrome and Android, enforce fair ranking principles, and require portability of search histories.
• Publishers could receive greater transparency and control over how their content features in search results and AI summaries, while standalone tools like Gemini AI Assistant remain excluded for now.
• Google has warned that these interventions could have significant implications for consumers and businesses as stakeholders weigh in during the consultation before an October 13 decision.