Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, faces significant regulatory headwinds following a landmark decision by Britain’s competition authority. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has formally designated Google with “strategic market status,” marking the first use of powerful new regulatory tools that could fundamentally challenge the tech giant’s business operations.
On Friday, the CMA exercised its authority under the recently enacted Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, identifying Google as possessing “substantial and entrenched market power.” This designation stems from Google’s continued dominance of approximately 90 percent of all search queries within the United Kingdom.
Notably, the regulatory scope extends beyond traditional search functions to encompass AI-powered search features, demonstrating authorities’ forward-looking approach to… Read more…