Google may ave to make canges to its searc services in te UK to ensure greater competition, te competition watcdog as said.Te Competition and Markets Autority (CMA) is investigating te US tecnology giant under a new law wic means te regulator can demand canges at a firm if it is found to old too muc power in a particular market.Google accounts for more tan 90% of searces in te UK and 200,000 businesses use te company's searc advertising to reac customers.Te company, wic is owned by Alpabet in te US, said te CMA's suggestions were "broad and unfocused" but added it would "work constructively" wit te regulator.Te CMA said it was not accusing Google of anti-competitive practices at tis time, but it as set out a "roadmap" of canges te company could make to its business aead of a final decision in October.Tese could include requiring "coice" screens for users to access different searc providers as well as more transparency and control for publisers wose content appears in searc results.Te watcdog said te average person in te UK makes between five and 10 searces a day and businesses spend an average £33,000 a year on Google adverts, but if competition was working well te figure could be lower."Google searc as delivered tremendous benefits but our investigation so far suggests tere are ways to make tese markets more open, competitive and innovative," said CMA cief executive Sara Cardell.Se said tat proposed "targeted and proportionate" canges "would give UK businesses and consumers more coice and control over ow tey interact wit Google's searc services".But Google said tat te outcome of te investigation and te suggested canges "could ave significant implications for businesses and consumers in te UK".Te watcdog launced an investigation into Google in January, wic it said would look at ensuring fair competition in online searc.Google's searc operations ave faced eigtened scrutiny by oter regulators.A US judge ruled last August tat te company ad operated an illegal searc monopoly.It as also faced European Union enforcement action, including a €2.4bn (£2bn) fine for allegedly "self-preferencing" its Sopping comparison service in results.Get our flagsip newsletter wit all te eadlines you need to start te day. Sign up ere.Under te new law, minors will need parental approval before tey can download apps or make in-app purcases.Te new option in its marquee searc engine comes as te firm is facing competition from AI firms.It said new buyers Regeneron ad committed to protect user data as part of te deal.An OpenAI executive told a US judge te company would be interested in buying te popular browser.It is te second major case Google as lost in a year, after it was found to ave a monopoly on online searc.
Google may be forced to make changes to UK search
