Google could be forced to change its search engine in the UK to give consumers more choice and control over how they interact with its search services, the competition regulator has warned.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has laid out potential remedies Google may have to make, including allowing people to easily switch search engines through a legal requirement for so-called “choice screens”.
Also being considered is ensuring people can transfer their browser history to another provider, and a requirement for transparency over search result ordering and inclusion in AI-generated summaries.
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The CMA has also proposed designating the tech giant with “strategic market status”, which would give the regulator greater control over how Google operates search services.
Why is this happening?
It’s all being done to give consumers “more choice and control” and to unlock “greater opportunities for innovation across the UK tech sector and broader economy”, the CMA’s chief executive, Sarah Cardell, said.
The average person in the UK makes five to 10 searches a day, the CMA said, with Google’s services “critical” for more than 200,000 UK businesses, which rely on the company to reach customers.
“Our investigation so far suggests there are ways to make these markets more open, competitive and innovative,” Ms Cardell said.
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Possible measures and concerns outlined by the watchdog do not mean Google is guilty of anti-competitive practices. Nor does the “strategic market status” designation, given due to its dominant position in search and advertising.
Were the CMA to go through with the measures, “the outcome could have significant implications for businesses and consumers in the UK”, Google’s senior director for competition, Oliver Bethell, said.
“This announcement presents clear challenges to critical areas of our business in the UK.”
“We’re concerned that the scope of the CMA’s considerations remains broad and unfocused, with a range of interventions being considered before any evidence has been provided,” the firm added.
The announcement on Tuesday morning is a continuation of the investigation first announced in January.
What next?
A final decision on whether to apply the remedies and designate Google as having “strategic market status” will be made in October.
But in the second half of 2026, the CMA said it planned to consider actions to address “more complex” concerns.
These include the impact of Google’s bargaining position on internet publishers, its treatment of rival specialised search firms, and transparency and control in search advertising.
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Google is facing a crackdown on its services in both the US and the European Union.
Parent company Alphabet could be forced to sell the Chrome browser after a US court found Google had an illegal monopoly on search.
In the EU, it’s been hit with a €2.4bn (£2bn) fine for abusing its market dominance with its shopping comparison service.
