The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an antitrust investigation into Google’s dominance of online search and advertising, including the impact of new AI-based search technologies, writes TechCrunch.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched its first formal inquiry since 2025 into Google’s dominance of the online search market, including the influence of its new AI search technology and online advertising.
The investigation will focus on three key areas: weak competition and barriers to entry in search, possible favoring of Google’s own services such as advertising and AI, and the use of consumer data without proper consent.
Google Search, an easy target for the Competition and Markets Authority
With a market share of more than 90% in the UK, Google Search is already an easy target for the CMA, which said it will examine whether Google meets the criteria to be designated a service with “strategic market status”.
If this status is confirmed, the CMA will be able to impose competition measures, including opening up search results to competitors or opening up the online advertising market.
In the context of new competition from AI-based services such as ChatGPT, Google has launched its own AI technology called Gemini, already providing comprehensive search answers. This fact could lead to regulations forcing Google to include solutions from other companies in its own search results.
Source: www.descopera.ro
