The Competition and Markets Authority is consulting on whether Google should be designated with strategic market status
The Competition and Markets Authority is consulting on whether Google should be designated with strategic market status
Under the Digital Markets Competition Regime, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed to designate Google with “strategic market status” (SMS).
Google Search accounts for more than 90% of all general search queries in the UK, with millions of people relying on it as a key gateway to the internet and more than 200,000 businesses in the UK relying on Google Search advertising to reach their customers. These services matter to our economy and society, so it’s vital that competition works well.
The CMA has been looking into the difficulty alternative internet search providers face due to Google’s dominance in search advertising. A consultation on the proposal will take place ahead of a final decision in October. If the CMA’s proposed designation of Google as an SMS goes ahead, among the actions it plans to take is requiring Google to offer choice screens for users to access different search providers.
