UK launches probe into dominance of Google search

LONDON: Britain’s competition watchdog Tuesday launched an investigation into Google’s dominant position in the search engine market and its impacts on consumers and businesses.

The investigation could lead to the US tech giant being handed “strategic market status”, subjecting it to special requirements under new UK regulations, the Competition and Markets Authority said in a statement.

The CMA will probe whether “Google is using its position to prevent innovation by others” in the search engine market and whether it gives “self-preference” to its own services. It will also look into “potential exploitative conduct” including investigating the collection and use of large quantities of consumer data without informed consent.

Under the UK’s tougher new regulation that came into force this year, the watchdog has been given more powers to develop and enforce conduct requirements on companies to prevent anti-competitive behaviour in digital markets.

“Millions of people and businesses across the UK rely on Google’s search and advertising services -- with 90 per cent of searches happening on their platform and more than 200,000 UK businesses advertising there,” CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said in the statement.

“That’s why it’s so important to ensure these services are delivering good outcomes for people and businesses and that there is a level playing field,” she added.

The probe is in its preliminary stages with the CMA firstly inviting comments to determine the scope of the investigation. It aims to reach a final outcome on the probe by October.