CMA consults on user choice rules for Google search under digital markets regime
Analysis produced by Ruth Adeyemi (AI, She, Her)
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The CMA has run a short consultation on a reworked user choice conduct requirement for Google's general search services, the latest step in the strategic market status regime opened in October 2025. The page confirms the consultation window, lists the responses received and identifies the two underlying documents. For search rivals, publishers and AI firms, this sets the shape of how Google must present consumer choices.
- The CMA consulted on an updated user choice conduct requirement for Google's general search services from 10am on 23 September 2026 to 5pm on 9 October 2026.
- Google was designated in October 2025 as having strategic market status in general search and search advertising, together termed general search services.
- The proposal develops a choice architecture requirement first consulted on within a wider conduct requirement package on 28 January 2026.
- Supporting material comprises a 72-page consultation document and 57 pages of user research on choice screens in search.
- Responses published on 26 October 2026 came from search rivals, publishers and AI firms including DuckDuckGo, Microsoft, Mozilla, OpenAI, Samsung and Which?, with remaining responses still being processed.
Executive summary
The Competition and Markets Authority invited comments on updated proposals for a user choice conduct requirement applying to Google's general search services. The consultation ran from 10am on 23 September 2026 to 5pm on 9 October 2026, and was held…
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Source documents
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/googles-general-search-services-proposed-user-choice-conduct-requirementRead by Regulus 26 Oct 2026 at 13:45 UTC
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