Google responds that “may be the first target of punishment under the new British digital regulations”: CMA has too broad considerations and has not even had evidence to consider a series of interventions – Passionategeekz

Passionategeekz On June 24, the British government issued an announcement today, announcing that the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will take preliminary measures to improve the competitiveness of UK search services, and Google Search accounts for more than 90% of the UK market (search query volume).

It is said that Google search has become the main channel for British companies to reach their customers – last year, more than 200,000 companies in the UK invested a total of more than 10 billion pounds in Google search advertising (Passionategeekz Note: the current exchange rate is approximately RMB 96.689 billion).

The CMA’s decision to list Google as a business with a “strategic market position” could make Google the first company to be penalized for violating stricter UK digital regulations.

The Digital Market Competition Act, which came into effect in January 2025, authorizes the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to take targeted measures to promote competition in key digital markets.

As a first step, we are openly seeking comments today on the proposal to list Google Search as “Strategic Market Status” (SMS) under the framework of the bill. At the same time, if the recognition is finally determined, we will announce the list of potential measures we intend to take: improve market results by strengthening competition – increase consumer choice and control rights, and reduce corporate costs. These measures are expected to drive broader growth, investment and innovation in the UK technology and other areas. Specifically, the roadmap released today clearly defines plans to give priority to the implementation of these measures within the first six months after the recognition takes effect.

We will announce the final decision in October. If Google is identified as having a strategic market position, it is expected to seek consultations on the first batch of interventions later.

The CMA noted that the move aims to express concerns about the fairness of its search results, the high cost of advertising, and how content is used in search replies generated by AI.

This also means that Google will face stricter regulation from the UK government, and its online search and advertising business (including search results generated by artificial intelligence) will be more fair and transparent.

Then, Google published a blog, translated by Passionategeekz as follows:

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced a proposal today to list Google Search as a company with a “Strategic Market Status” (SMS) while releasing a roadmap for potential interventions. The decision could have a significant impact on UK businesses and consumers.

There is no doubt that Google search has positive impact on the UK. Our tools and services contribute billions of pounds to the UK every year – reaching 118 billion pounds in 2023 alone (the current exchange rate is approximately RMB 1.14 trillion).

The CMA reiterated today that “strategic market position” does not mean anti-competitive behavior – but the proposal poses a clear challenge to key areas of our UK business. We believe that the CMA’s considerations are too broad and lack focus, and a range of interventions have begun to be considered without providing any evidence.

Certainty is crucial for companies like us who continue to invest in innovation. This is true for UK businesses that rely on search services to reach customers, and for users who complete transactions through search.

The UK has always been the first to get our latest innovations, but punitive regulations may change that. Comparative, evidence-based regulation is crucial to preventing the CMA roadmap from becoming a barrier to development in the UK.

As the process moves to the next stage, we will continue to work constructively with the CMA to avoid measures that limit the development opportunities of UK businesses and consumers.

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