The announcement that Google has “strategic market status” is just the prequel to the main event: a forthcoming public consultation that will see Google and its rivals engage in a fierce battle of influence. This consultation phase, to be launched by the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) later this year, is where the specific new rules for Google will be forged.
This process is a crucial opportunity for all sides to make their case. Google will undoubtedly deploy its considerable resources to argue that the proposed regulations are unnecessary, harmful to innovation, and bad for consumers. It will submit detailed economic and technical arguments to persuade the CMA to adopt the lightest possible touch.
On the other side, Google’s competitors—from established search engines like Microsoft’s Bing to smaller privacy-focused players and new AI startups—will lobby for the strongest possible remedies. They will provide evidence of how Google’s current practices harm their ability to compete and argue that measures like “choice screens” and fair ranking rules are essential for a healthy market.
Other stakeholders will also join the fray. Publisher groups will advocate for stronger content rights and fair compensation. Consumer associations will push for measures that maximize choice and privacy. Advertisers will argue for changes that could lower costs and increase transparency in the digital ad market.
The CMA’s job will be to sift through this mountain of competing claims and evidence to arrive at a set of rules that are effective, proportionate, and legally sound. The outcome of this battle of influence will determine the future of search in the UK for years to come.