SMS investigation into Google's general search and search advertising services
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-10)

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigated whether to designate Google as having strategic market status (SMS) in respect of its provision of general search and search advertising services.

Learn how SMS investigations work as part of the digital markets competition regime (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-the-uks-digital-markets-competition-regime-works).

Final decision

10 October 2025: The CMA has published its final decision to designate Google as having SMS in general search services, comprising its general search and search advertising activities.
- SMS decision notice (PDF, 139KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68e8b29b1c8b2a3b50690811/SMS_Decision_Notice.pdf) (10.10.25)
- Final decision report (PDF, 2.7MB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68e8b643cf65bd04bad76724/Final_decision_-_strategic_market_status_investigation_into_Google_s_general_search_services.pdf) (10.10.25)
- Annex A: Third party evidence (PDF, 100KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68e8b2c5b6ae95e3c76907f7/Appendix_A_-_Third_party_evidence.pdf) (10.10.25)
- Annex B: Market outcomes (PDF, 1.9MB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68e8b2eb187483de54d76711/Appendix_B_-_market_outcomes.pdf) (10.10.25)
- Annex C: Profitability analysis (PDF, 488KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68e8b32257038b5739b9861a/Appendix_C_-_profitability_analysis.pdf) (10.10.25)
- Consumer survey report (PDF, 2.8MB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68597f52e2e8fdfe8b652dfd/Consumer_survey_report_1.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Consumer survey data tables (PDF, 771KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68597f666e0a19f50feca7bc/Consumer_survey_data_tables_1.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Qualitative research (PDF, 1.9MB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68597f3deaa6f6419fade66e/Qualitative_research_1.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Press release: CMA confirms Google has strategic market status in search services (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-confirms-google-has-strategic-market-status-in-search-services) (10.10.25)
Proposed decision

Responses to the consultation

21 August 2025: The CMA has published responses to the consultation. Non-confidential responses can be found on the consultation page (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-decision-report-sms-investigation-into-googles-general-search-and-search-advertising-services).
- Summary of Google’s oral representations (PDF, 114KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a5b478a6acbbc7fb96a3c2/Summary_of_Google_s_oral_representations.pdf) (21.8.25)
Consultation

24 June 2025: The CMA consulted on its proposed decision to designate Google as having SMS in general search services, comprising its general search and search advertising activities. This consultation closed on 22 July 2025.
- Proposed decision (PDF, 2.1MB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68598b13eaa6f6419fade67b/Proposed_decision.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Annex A: Third party evidence (PDF, 130KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685981f8eaa6f6419fade673/Annex_A__Third_party_evidence.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Annex B: Market outcomes (PDF, 980KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6859812cdb8e139f95652e0a/Annex_B_Market_outcomes.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Annex C: Profitability analysis (PDF, 485KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68598a4c9d116ab6d9eca7ce/Annex_C_Profitability_analysis.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Consumer survey report (PDF, 2.8MB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68597f52e2e8fdfe8b652dfd/Consumer_survey_report_1.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Consumer survey data tables (PDF, 771KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68597f666e0a19f50feca7bc/Consumer_survey_data_tables_1.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Qualitative research (PDF, 1.9MB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68597f3deaa6f6419fade66e/Qualitative_research_1.pdf) (24.6.25)
- Press release: CMA takes first steps to improve competition in search services in the UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-takes-first-steps-to-improve-competition-in-search-services-in-the-uk) (24.6.25)
Roadmap of possible measures to improve competition in search

The CMA published summaries of 3 stakeholder roundtables held following the publication of the proposed decision and roadmap.

Summary of choice architecture roundtable (PDF, 144KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68c29c52d65a1a2a5172a9ab/_Summary_of_choice_architecture_roundtable.pdf) (11.9.25)
- Summary of publishers roundtable (PDF, 141KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a5b4e418658ad2023d5154/Publishers_roundtable_summary_7_July_2025.pdf) (21.8.25)
- Summary of business roundtable (PDF, 140KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a5b4cb2a1dfc29763d5154/Businesses_roundtable_summary_10_July_2025.pdf) (21.8.25)
24 June 2025: The CMA has today published its roadmap for possible interventions in respect of Google’s general search services. The roadmap sets out how we intend to prioritise our work on potential conduct requirements and pro-competition interventions, should Google be designated as having strategic market status.
- Roadmap (PDF, 353KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6859810eeaa6f6419fade671/Roadmap_.pdf) (23.6.25)
Should stakeholders have views on the prioritisation of interventions set out in the roadmap, these can be submitted via email to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) or provided as part of our ongoing stakeholder engagement between now and updating the roadmap in early 2026.

Invitation to comment: now closed

27 February 2025: The Invitation to Comment closed on 3 February 2025. Non-confidential responses are published on the consultation page.
- Responses: SMS investigation into Google’s search and search advertising services (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/sms-investigation-into-googles-general-search-and-search-advertising-services)
14 January 2025: To assist with its initial SMS investigation, the CMA has published an invitation to comment (ITC) setting out the scope of our investigation, the main avenues of investigation and the potential issues and interventions we are currently considering. We invite submissions from interested parties on the areas set out in the ITC. We will publish non-confidential responses in due course. If your response contains information that you consider to be confidential, please also submit a non-confidential version of your response for publication.
- Invitation to Comment (PDF, 302KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/678524823ef063b15dca0f04/Invitation_to_Comment.pdf) (14.1.25)
- Consultation: Google’s Strategic Market Status in general search and search advertising services (https://connect.cma.gov.uk/itc-sms-investigation-into-google-s-general-search-and-search-advertising-services)
Qualitative consumer research

The CMA intends to undertake qualitative research to inform this investigation, focused on understanding how consumers are using generative AI assistants for web search activities. The agency appointed to undertake the research is Thinks Insight and Strategy.

Invitation to comment on consumer survey on mobile ecosystems

24 January 2025: A full consumer survey has not been commissioned specifically for the SMS investigation into Google’s general search and search advertising services. However, a small number of questions were included in the proposed consumer survey for the SMS investigations into Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems. These additional questions will inform this SMS investigation (into Google’s general search and search advertising services).

An ITC on the proposed consumer survey was published. Interested parties had an opportunity to comment on the proposed methodology and draft questionnaire. The questions intended to inform the SMS investigation into Google’s general search and search advertising services can be found under ‘search questions’ together with any relevant contextual information that may inform analysis (for example, variation across demographic groups). The ITC closed at 11:59pm on 28 January 2025.

The ITC can be found on the case pages for the SMS investigations into Apple (https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/sms-investigation-into-apples-mobile-ecosystem) and Google’s (https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/sms-investigation-into-googles-mobile-ecosystem) mobile ecosystems.

Stakeholder roundtables

January to February 2025: As part of its SMS investigation into Google’s general search services, the CMA held a series of roundtable events for groups of stakeholders to explore the issues and hear their views.

Roundtable discussions were held with Publishers on 28 January 2025, Advertisers and Media Agencies on 29 January 2025, and Specialised Search Services on 4 February 2025.

Summaries of the roundtable discussions are published below:
- Publishers Roundtable summary, meeting held on 28 January 2025 (PDF 133KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67bf347ca0f0c95a498d1fd9/Publishers_Roundtable.pdf) (27.2.25)
- Advertisers and Media Agencies Roundtable summary meeting held on 29 January 2025 (PDF, 136KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67bf346a68a61757838d1fd1/Advertisers_and_Media_Agencies_Rountable.pdf) (27.2.25)
- Specialised Search Services Roundtable summary, meeting held on 4 February 2025 (PDF, 124KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67bf349268a61757838d1fd2/Specialised_Search_Roundtable.pdf) (27.2.25)
Case information

The CMA has launched an ‘initial SMS investigation’ under Part 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024.

The CMA is investigating whether to designate Google as having Strategic Market Status (SMS) in respect of general search and search advertising.

Launch of SMS investigation
- Investigation Notice (PDF, 228KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6785246ef0528401055d233c/Investigation_Notice.pdf) (14.1.25)
- Press release: CMA to investigate Google’s search services (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-to-investigate-googles-search-services) (14.1.25)
Indicative timetable

The table below sets out an indicative timetable for the SMS investigation.

On 10 March 2025, CMA Chief Executive, Sarah Cardell delivered a speech at the techUK Tech Policy Conference 2025 (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/promoting-competition-and-protecting-consumers-in-the-digital-age-a-roadmap-for-growth) in which she set out that a new step would be incorporated into the CMA’s designation investigations – a ‘roadmap’ for possible future interventions if a firm were to be designated with SMS.

The intervention roadmap will provide clarity on which issues are likely to be prioritised for earlier action, which the CMA proposes to deprioritise, and which remain subject to further consideration. For the SMS Search investigation, we intend to publish this roadmap document alongside the consultation on the proposed decision on SMS designation in June 2025. The indicative timetable below has been updated to reflect this step. It should be noted that the DMCC Act allows the CMA to consult on proposed conduct requirements (CRs) at the same time as consulting on any proposed decision on whether to designate a firm with SMS. However, CRs may be imposed at any point after a firm is designated.

The dates set out below are indicative only and represent our current expectations and estimates for different phases in the investigation and may be subject to change.

This timetable will be updated as necessary throughout the investigation if there are changes to these timings.

Stage 1: Commencement of the SMS investigation and consideration of potential initial CRs

Stage 2: Preparation and publication of proposed decision on whether to designate Google with SMS and publication of roadmap for possible future interventions

Stage 3: After consultation on proposed decision and roadmap of possible interventions

Decision makers

The Digital Markets Board Committee (DMBC) oversees and takes certain delegated decisions under the DMCC Act 2024.

Sub-committees of the DMBC have been established under the DMBC to oversee and take certain decisions in specific SMS investigations, in accordance with their terms of reference.

The members for this investigation are:
- Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive, CMA (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/sarah-cardell)
- Robin Foster, Panel Member, CMA (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-panel-member-biographies-and-disclosures-of-interest/panel-members-biographies#robin-foster)
- Will Hayter, Executive Director for Digital Markets, CMA (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/will-hayter)
- Dame Patricia Hodgson, Non-Executive Director, CMA (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/patricia-hodgson)
- Cyrus Mehta, Non-Executive Director, CMA (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/cyrus-mehta)
Contact

Please direct all correspondence or questions in relation to this investigation to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).