United Kingdom: Competition and Markets Authority closes consultation on its proposed decision to designate Google as having strategic market status in general search services

On 22 July 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) closed the public consultation on its proposal to designate Google with strategic market status (SMS) in general search and search advertising. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act the SMS designation would allow the CMA to impose targeted, proportionate measures to address concerns around Google's dominance in search, such as lack of transparency in rankings, limited competition, and barriers for new entrants. The CMA published a roadmap outlining possible early actions if Google is designated, including user choice screens for search engines, fairer ranking systems, more transparency and control for publishers, and greater portability of user search data to support innovation. Google currently holds over 90% of the UK search market. The designation follows concerns raised during the CMA’s investigation, such as Google’s unique access to data, costly advertising, preferential treatment of its own services, and limited alternatives for consumers and publishers. The CMA also noted the evolving role of AI in search, with tools such as Google’s AI Overviews being considered within the scope of the proposed designation. The CMA is consulting on the proposal and roadmap until a final decision is made by 13 October 2025.