TL;DR

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has proposed new requirements for Google, including allowing publishers to opt out of having their content power AI services like search summaries. The regulator also wants Google to ensure proper attribution of publisher content in AI results and demonstrate that its search results are fair and transparent for businesses.

Strategic Market Status Enforcement

Google became the first company to receive Strategic Market Status (SMS) designation last October under new UK laws designed to curb the market power of large technology companies. The designation, similar to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, allows the CMA to enforce specific conduct requirements.

The SMS status was granted based on Google’s dominance in search but also extends to its AI services, including the Gemini chatbot and AI Overviews feature. Apple and Google have also received SMS status for their mobile platforms.

Balancing Competition and Innovation

CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell framed the proposed measures as targeted and proportionate: “These actions would give UK businesses and consumers more choice and control over how they interact with Google’s search services.”

Google responded that it already provides web publishers with controls based on open standards to manage how content appears in search. The company cautioned that new controls would need to avoid creating a “fragmented or confusing experience” for users.

Looking Forward

The CMA will consult on the proposed requirements until 25 February, followed by a final decision. Publishers filed antitrust complaints with both the CMA and European Union last year over the use of their content to power AI Overviews. The outcome could establish important precedents for how AI systems must respect content ownership and attribution across the industry.