The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed a package of measures to help businesses and consumers make informed choices when using Google’s search services in the UK, including giving publishers an opt-out from the AI Overviews feature.
This proposed opt-out would give publishers the power to stop their content being used to power the AI Overviews or to train AI models outside of Google search. It would also hope to give publishers more transparency on how their content is used for the benefit of AI.
The CMA has also proposed that Google will be required to demonstrate to the CMA and its users that it ranks search results fairly, including in its AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA said “Today is an important milestone as we consult on the first conduct requirements under the digital markets competition regime in the UK.”
“These targeted and proportionate actions would give UK businesses and consumers more choice and control over how they interact with Google’s search services – as well as unlocking greater opportunities for innovation across the UK tech sector and broader economy. They would also provide a fairer deal for content publishers, particularly news organisations, over how their content is used in Google’s AI Overviews.” she added.
Google Search accounts for more than 90 per cent of all general search queries in the UK – with millions of people relying on it as a key gateway to the internet. More than 200,000 firms in the UK collectively spent more than £10 billion (AU$19.6 billion) on Google’s search advertising last year.
In October 2025, the CMA designated Google with strategic market status (SMS) in search services. The designation allows the CMA to introduce targeted rules or ‘conduct requirements’ for Google’s business if proportionate for the purposes of fair dealing, open choices or trust and transparency.
The UK and Europe have long set the standard when it comes to regulating big tech. Australia frequently watches closely and tends to follow suit, adopting similar measures to its own digital landscape once these measures have been tested and proven abroad.
Before proceeding, the CMA is required to consult on these proposals and the deadline for feedback is 25 February. A final decision will be taken following consideration of the feedback received.
