CMA pushes back on Google’s AI overviews
The UK’s competition regulator has fired an early warning shot at Google’s AI-powered search, in a move that suggests the era of unfettered scraping and summarising may be coming to an end.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday set out proposed rules that would force Google to loosen its control over how search works in the UK.
The move comes as AI becomes more deeply embedded at the top of results pages.
Rather than reopening old talks about Google’s dominance in search, the CMA is homing in on how AI summaries and automated rankings could lock both users and businesses even deeper into Google’s ecosystem.
At the centre of the proposals is Google’s ‘AI overviews’, the summaries shown above traditional links when using the search engine.
The watchdog wants publishers to gain control over whether their content is used to power those summaries or train AI systems, without being forced to disappear from search altogether.
That reflects a growing concern in Whitehall that generative AI could hollow out the web’s economic plumbing, diverting attention, and ad revenue, away from content creators while consolidating power at the platform level.
System control
Elsewhere, the CMA is also proposing rules that would require Google to demonstrate that its rankings are fair and transparent, including inside AI-driven features.
That includes proving it is not favouring its own services, or commercial partners, as search sees a shift from links to answers.
In a further challenge to Google’s market grip, the regulator wants legally mandated “choice screens” on Android phones and within the Chrome browser.
This function is set to make it easier for users to switch to rival search engines, a move designed to weaken Google’s advantage as the default setting.
These measures, announced on Wednesday, mark the first real test of the UK’s new digital markets regime.
What’s more, it gives the CMA powers similar in ambition than the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s chief executive, said the proposals were aimed at ensuring competition “keeps pace with how search is evolving”.
She argued that targeted rules could unlock innovation across the UK tech sector, all while protecting consumers and businesses.
Google, for its part, claimed that heavy-handed intervention could damage the usefulness of search.
“Any new controls need to avoid breaking search in a way that leads to a fragmented or confusing experience,” the company said.
It also confirmed it was exploring ways for publishers to manage how their content appears in AI features.
The consultation runs until 25 February 2026, but the direction of travel seems clear.
As we see search leaning more towards AI-generated content, the UK is making sure the power doesn’t stay in the hands of one singular tech giant.