Britain's competition watchdog is moving to tighten oversight of Google's search operations in the country under its regulatory regime. The measures are aimed at improving conditions for businesses and giving users more control over how their search data is used.
Highlights
- UK Competition and Markets Authority imposed two new conduct requirements on Google search services to enhance fairness and improve UK search services.
- The first requirement mandates increased transparency and fairness in Google's ranking of search results to benefit business visibility.
- The second requirement obliges Google to enable user data portability to authorised third parties, facilitating consumer switching and alternative tool use.
New requirements for ranking and data portability
According to a statement published by Reuters, the Competition and Markets Authority said on Wednesday that it is setting out two conduct requirements for Google's search services to secure what it called a fairer deal for businesses and to improve search services in the UK.The first requirement is that Google improve transparency and fairness in the way search results are ranked. The second requires Google to let users move their search data to authorised third parties.
Potential effects on competition and users
The requirements signal a tougher regulatory approach to digital platforms in Britain, with the watchdog focusing on how dominant search services affect both commercial visibility and consumer choice.For businesses, clearer ranking rules could improve understanding of how they appear in search results. For users, the data portability requirement could make it easier to switch services or use alternative tools built by authorised third parties.
Our earlier article on the Extel rankings showed how the UK small- and mid-cap equity research market has contracted since MIFID II unbundled research payments, with fewer analysts, narrower sector coverage and ongoing broker consolidation. It also noted that the FCA’s post-2023 easing of some rules is creating cautious optimism, even as the industry faces persistent challenges such as rebuilding coverage and attracting new talent.
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