Britain’s competition regulator is flexing its new muscles for the first time, taking direct aim at Google’s search monopoly. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Tuesday that it plans to designate the tech giant as having “strategic market status,” a powerful new tool that could force the company to rank businesses more fairly.
With Google controlling over 90% of search queries in Britain, the CMA argues that action is necessary to boost innovation and help the economy. CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said the targeted changes would give “UK businesses and consumers more choice and control” and “unlock greater opportunities” across the tech sector.
Google immediately pushed back, expressing concern that the CMA’s proposal was too broad and unfocused. “We’re concerned that the scope of the CMA’s considerations remains broad,” said Oliver Bethell, Google’s senior director for competition, adding that the regulator is considering interventions “before any evidence has been provided.”
This move marks the first major test of the UK’s new powers to rein in Big Tech, adopting a more targeted approach than the European Union’s broader regulations.
The CMA, which can impose hefty fines for non-compliance, will make a final decision on the designation in October. The watchdog is also investigating Google’s Android operating system, signaling a wider crackdown on the company’s dominance in the UK market.
