The UK’s competition regulator is preparing to step onto the field and act as a referee for Google’s search rankings, a move designed to ensure “fair play” in the digital market. The proposal to enforce “fair ranking of search results” is one of the most interventionist measures being considered by the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) under its new powers.
For years, critics and competitors have accused Google of tilting its search results to favor its own services—a practice often referred to as “self-preferencing.” For example, a search for a flight might prominently feature a Google Flights box at the top of the page, potentially disadvantaging rival travel comparison sites even if they offer better deals.
By proposing rules on fair ranking, the CMA is signaling its intent to police this behavior. This is a technically complex and controversial area. Google argues that its ranking algorithms are designed solely to provide the best and most relevant results for the user, and that integrated features like maps or shopping boxes are helpful product innovations, not anti-competitive tactics.
Implementing such a rule would be challenging. The CMA would need to define what “fair” means in the context of a complex algorithm and would require a deep level of technical insight to monitor Google’s compliance. It could lead to ongoing disputes about whether a particular ranking decision was a legitimate product improvement or an unfair act of self-preferencing.
Despite the difficulties, the CMA believes this is a necessary step to level the playing field. The goal is to ensure that the best service wins in the search results, not just the service that happens to be owned by the search engine itself.
Fair Play or Foul? UK Regulator to Police Google’s Search Rankings
