Artem Voloskovets
The measures focus on fair ranking and data portability. Google says it will cooperate with the regulator while maintaining the quality of its search results.
Search Visibility Becomes a Regulatory Issue
Businesses have often reported sudden traffic declines after search updates without receiving meaningful information about what changed.
Under the CMA's new fair ranking requirement, Google will have to provide greater transparency around ranking systems, use objective criteria when determining search visibility, and establish clearer channels for complaints and dispute resolution.
The regulator is not requiring Google to disclose its algorithm. Instead, the focus is on making ranking-related decisions easier for businesses to understand and challenge. Google has six months to comply with the new requirement.
Search Data Will Become More Portable
The second requirement targets access to search-related information. The CMA wants businesses and authorized third parties to be able to transfer and use search data more easily. Regulators believe this could reduce dependence on a single platform and give companies more flexibility when analyzing their online performance. Google has been given three months to implement the data portability measures.
AI Search Draws Regulatory Attention
The announcement comes as Google's AI-generated search experiences become a larger part of how users discover information online. CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell pointed specifically to AI Overviews, noting that publishers need stronger bargaining power over the use of their content in AI-powered search features. The statement follows earlier CMA measures that allow publishers to prevent their content from being used in certain Google AI products without affecting their visibility in traditional search results.
The issue has become increasingly important for news organizations and content publishers as AI-generated answers reduce the need for users to click through to original websites.
More Measures May Follow
The CMA described the new rules as a first step rather than a final settlement. Google currently handles more than 90% of search queries in the UK, according to the regulator. Because of that market position, the company has been designated as having Strategic Market Status (SMS), giving the CMA broader authority to impose conduct requirements.
Cardell said additional actions related to Google's search business will be announced in the coming weeks. The regulator also described the fair ranking framework as the first requirement of its kind applied to a major search engine.
Google's Position
Google argues that Search remains an important driver of economic activity in the UK. According to the company, its products contributed an estimated £118 billion to the UK economy in 2023, support more than one million businesses, and help British companies export more than £20 billion worth of goods and services annually.
Google also warned that highly prescriptive digital market rules could limit innovation and reduce consumer choice. The company said it intends to engage with the CMA as the regulatory framework develops.
Artem Voloskovets
