UK opens antitrust investigation into Google's search practices

The UK's Competition and Market's Authority (CMA) has launched an antitrust investigation into Google's search services, following similar steps from the likes of Japan, the United States and the European Union. It's the CMA's first probe under the UK's Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2025. The regulatory body previously announced it would launch two separate investigations this month.

The CMA's investigation will look at whether Google is hindering outside innovation, giving its own services preference and collecting or using data without users' consent. "Millions of people and businesses across the UK rely on Google’s search and advertising services – with 90 percent of searches happening on their platform and more than 200,000 UK businesses advertising there," said Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, in a release. "That’s why it’s so important to ensure these services are delivering good outcomes for people and businesses and that there is a level playing field, especially as AI has the potential to transform search services."

The DMCC Act allows the CMA to designate certain companies with "Strategic Market Status" (SMS) around a specific digital activity — in this case Google's search and search advertising services. The companies must have a global turnover of £25 million or £1 billion in the UK.

This label allows the CMA to have greater regulatory power over these services and implement pro-competition directives. For example, if the CMA gives Google's search and search advertising services an SMS designation then it could force the company to make collected data available to competitors or to give publishers greater control over how Google utilizes their data. The investigation can take up to nine months and the CMA is asking for comments until February 3 from interested parties.

Google has fought previous calls investigations into its search engine. However, in December, the company shared proposed changes to its search services in the US, following the Department of Justice's call for it to sell off Chrome.