UK Watchdog Probes Google's Search Power

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is set to examine the impact of Google's search services on consumers and businesses. This probe aims to ensure fair competition amidst concerns of Google's dominant market position. The investigation follows calls for similar scrutiny in the U.S.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Google's search services, leveraging its newly acquired powers to scrutinize the tech giant's influence on consumers and businesses, including advertisers, news publishers, and rival search engines.

CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell emphasized the significance of search for economic growth and stressed the importance of fair competition. Google's platform hosts 90% of searches and over 200,000 UK businesses advertise through it, highlighting its pervasive role.

This inquiry follows a recent U.S. judicial hearing where prosecutors argued against Google's monopoly in online search, suggesting it should divest its Chrome browser and share data with competitors. Google has yet to respond to these developments.

(With inputs from agencies.)