Britain’s competition watchdog has proposed measures that would give users of Google’s Android devices and Chrome browser greater control over which search services they use, including artificial intelligence assistants such as ChatGPT and Perplexity.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the proposed choice screens would make it easier for consumers to select or switch their default search provider rather than relying on Google’s services. The proposal forms part of broader measures targeting Google’s position in the UK search market.
The regulator has designated Google as having Strategic Market Status in general search and search advertising, allowing it to impose specific conduct requirements under Britain’s digital markets regime.
The CMA has already introduced requirements covering search-result rankings and data portability, while separate rules have given publishers greater control over how their content is used in Google’s AI-powered search features.
The latest proposal comes as AI assistants increasingly compete with traditional search engines for users. If implemented, the choice requirements could create more opportunities for alternative search providers and AI services to compete for default positions on devices and browsers.
The measures underline the growing regulatory focus on competition in digital markets as search technology evolves rapidly.
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