The UK’s competition authority is forcing Google to change how it ranks search results. New rules aim to increase transparency and fairness for publishers and businesses. Google must now use objective criteria and notify firms of changes.
Digital publishers and online businesses in the UK will soon see major changes in how their content appears on Google, after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed new requirements on the tech giant. The regulator is mandating that Google make its search ranking system more transparent and fair, following complaints from businesses about unpredictable and opaque changes that impact visibility and revenue.
The CMA, which designated Google as having strategic market status in October last year due to its control of over 90% of UK search traffic, announced two new conduct requirements. First, Google must now rank organic search results using objective, non-discriminatory criteria and provide clearer information to businesses about how its ranking system works. The CMA said these steps are intended to secure a fairer deal for both firms and users.
Businesses told the regulator that Google’s current ranking practices lack transparency and that changes are often made without sufficient notice. Many also reported that they have no effective way to raise concerns when updates negatively affect their business. In response, the CMA is requiring Google to notify firms about significant changes and to establish better channels for addressing complaints.
The second requirement makes Google’s UK Data Portability Application Programming Interface—a tool that allows data sharing—legally binding, moving it from a voluntary process to a regulatory obligation.
Earlier this month, the CMA also directed Google to let publishers opt out of AI-generated summaries in search results without harming their ranking. This move follows similar regulatory pressure in other markets, as covered in a recent analysis of how publishers are gaining leverage over search platforms through new opt-out tools and regulatory interventions, such as the rollout of AI search opt-out features.
Google responded by stating that its ranking systems are already fair and transparent, and that it will work with the CMA to maintain high-quality search results. The company emphasized its commitment to protecting the integrity of its systems while complying with the new requirements.
Industry groups, including the Professional Publishers Association, welcomed the CMA’s actions but expressed concern about the six-month exemption for new search features, arguing that it could allow Google to make impactful changes before the fair ranking rules fully apply. The association also criticized the CMA’s decision to judge compliance based on processes rather than actual outcomes, noting that real-world effects on visibility and traffic are what matter most to publishers.
