UK regulator orders Google to open search data, ensure fair rankings

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority on Wednesday imposed legally binding requirements on Google demanding greater transparency in search rankings and allowing users to port their data to rival services, marking the first such measures under the nation's year-old digital markets competition regime.

Fair ranking requirements

Under the new "Fair Ranking" rule, Google must apply objective, non-discriminatory criteria when ordering organic search results, including those appearing in its AI-powered Overviews, and provide businesses with advance notice of significant ranking changes. "Search is a vital gateway for businesses in the UK to reach customers, and clearer, predictable and more transparent ranking systems could give them greater scope to expand and invest," said Will Hayter, executive director for digital markets at the CMA. The regulator noted that UK firms had previously warned unexplained ranking shifts held them back from investing.

Data portability mandate

The second requirement obliges Google to permit users to transfer their search data to authorized third parties, legally cementing an existing voluntary process and allowing independent firms such as rewards platforms or travel companies to offer personalized discounts. This puts UK user rights on par with those in the European Union, according to the regulator. Google faces a six-month deadline to implement the fair ranking rules and three months to satisfy the data portability mandate, according to the timetable set by the watchdog.

Broader regulatory push

The decision forms part of a wider crackdown by British authorities targeting major technology firms under the new digital markets framework. The authority last year classified both Google and Apple as holding "strategic market status" under the framework, and has recently opened a comparable probe into Microsoft's business software ecosystem.