Google, the world’s most popular search engine, is being investigated in the UK. This could lead to big changes in the way businesses advertise online.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) wants to find out if Google is being fair. Right now, Google handles more than 90 out of every 100 searches in the UK. The CMA is worried that Google may be showing its own services first in search results and making it harder or more expensive for other companies to show their ads or websites.
The CMA is also looking at how Google uses artificial intelligence (AI) in search. It wants to know if the search engine is using other people’s content without asking, and whether it’s guiding users away from other websites on purpose.
This is the first investigation using new UK rules for big digital companies. If the CMA decides Google has too much power, it could force the company to make changes. This might include giving more control to other companies about how their content appears in Google results or sharing more data with the search engine’s competitors.
Google says it is helping with the investigation, but warns that too many rules could slow down innovation. The CMA says it wants the landscape to be fair for everyone, regardless of whether that applies to business owners or people simply browsing the internet.
For businesses, this could mean a new way of advertising online. It may create more chances to be seen, but it could also mean changing your marketing plan to keep up.
If your business uses SEO (search engine optimisation), online ads or other digital tools, and you want help getting ahead, talk to our team at Engage Web. We’re here to support you.
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