UK Regulator Proposes Giving Consumers More Choice in Search Services
The UK's competition watchdog, the CMA, has proposed new rules to give consumers more choice when it comes to search services on Google. The proposals would require Google to show users a list of available search providers when they set up an Android phone or open Chrome for the first time. This would include AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
The CMA also wants to prompt users once a year to choose their default search provider, and allow other AI assistants that meet certain technical and security criteria to appear on these screens.
Additionally, the proposals would require search providers to clearly attribute publisher content so users can access source material and know where results originated. The CMA says this is in response to the rise of AI assistants, which people are increasingly using as their primary search service.
The proposals are open for consultation until October 9, with a final decision expected by the end of the year. In June, the CMA ordered Google to provide greater transparency on how its search rankings work.