STORY
The Competition and Markets Authority has announced measures intended to secure a fairer deal for publishers and improve Google search services in the UK. The regulator said the action follows its work under the digital markets regime, where Google has been designated as having strategic market status in search and search advertising.
The CMA said the changes are intended to unlock more competition, support innovation and better protect consumers. It stressed that strategic market status does not itself mean a firm has acted anti-competitively, but it allows the regulator to consider targeted interventions after consultation.
The announcement has political significance because the Government is trying to show that its digital competition regime can respond to the power of large technology firms. It also matters to publishers, many of whom argue that online platforms have captured too much of the value created by news content.