UK regulator tells Google to make search rankings clearer
The CMA says Google must explain rankings, use fair criteria and let users move search data under new digital markets rules.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
The United Kingdom’s competition regulator has ordered Google to make its search services more transparent, including by giving businesses clearer information about how rankings are decided. The Competition and Markets Authority said the measures are meant to address concerns linked to Google’s position in online search.
The CMA said Wednesday that Google will have to rank organic search results according to “objective and non-discriminatory criteria.” The regulator also said Google must improve complaints processes and allow users to transfer their search data to authorised third parties.
The requirements apply under Britain’s digital markets regime, which gives the CMA powers to set conduct rules for large technology companies. The regulator designated Google as having “strategic market status” last year, placing the company under additional oversight.
Will Hayter, the CMA’s executive director for digital markets, said the regulator was acting in stages to make Google’s search services work better for UK consumers and businesses. He said search is a key route for businesses to reach customers, and that more predictable ranking systems could help companies expand and invest.
The CMA said Google accounts for more than 90 percent of search queries in the UK. Because of that role, changes to how Google explains and applies rankings could affect a wide range of companies that depend on search visibility to attract users.
Under the timetable set by the CMA, Google has six months to meet the fair-ranking requirement. The company has three months to implement the data portability requirement, the regulator said.
The new rules follow earlier CMA requirements announced this month that let publishers stop their content from being used to power Google’s artificial intelligence features. The regulator presented the latest measures as part of the same broader effort to set targeted rules for dominant digital services.
The UK’s digital markets competition regime took effect in January 2025, according to the CMA. The framework allows the regulator to impose targeted and proportionate measures aimed at improving competition in digital markets.
The Google order comes as the British government pursues other online policy changes. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to ban under-16s from social media sites including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, and said the government would act against gaming and livestreaming services that allow children to speak with strangers.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.