Google has been ordered by the UK’s competition regulator to make its search results fairer and more transparent, in the latest set of legally binding requirements imposed on the technology giant since it was designated as having strategic market status last year.
The Competition and Markets Authority confirmed on Wednesday that Google must rank “organic” search results using objective and non-discriminatory criteria and provide greater transparency to businesses about how its rankings work. A second requirement makes legally binding a data-sharing process that was previously voluntary, through Google’s UK Data Portability Application Programming Interface.
The CMA said businesses had complained that Google’s current ranking practices were “neither fair nor transparent,” that changes were made “without sufficient notice” and that firms had no effective way to raise concerns when those changes harmed their operations. The regulator said the new requirements were intended to secure a “fairer deal” for both businesses and users.
Will Hayter, executive director for digital markets at the CMA, said: “Step by step, we’re ensuring that Google’s search services work better for businesses and consumers across the UK. Search is a vital gateway for businesses in the UK to reach customers, and clearer, predictable and more transparent ranking systems could give them greater scope to expand and invest. These new measures will ensure search results are ranked fairly and objectively, with clearer information about changes and effective routes to raise concerns.”
Google disputed the characterisation of its practices. A spokesman said: “Our ranking systems are fair, transparent and show the most relevant, highest quality results. We are committed to protecting the integrity of our systems, and will work constructively with the CMA to ensure that we can uphold the high quality of Search for our users.”
The measures come two weeks after the CMA set out a previous round of requirements on Google, which gave news groups and other online publishers the ability to opt out of appearing in AI Overviews within Google search results. The CMA first designated Google with strategic market status in October last year, citing the company’s dominance of the UK search market, where it accounts for more than 90 per cent of all searches. That designation gives the regulator enhanced powers to impose binding conduct requirements on the company without needing to pursue lengthy competition investigations.
