A new regulatory regime has officially been born in the United Kingdom with the competition watchdog’s decisive move against Google. The designation of the search giant with “strategic market status” is the first practical application of a new legal philosophy designed to proactively manage the power of Big Tech.
This marks a fundamental departure from the past. The old model of competition law was often criticized as being too slow and reactive to deal with fast-moving digital markets. The new regime, established by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, is built for the 21st century, focusing on ongoing oversight rather than one-off investigations.
The core of this new regime is the “strategic market status” (SMS) designation. It allows the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) to impose bespoke “conduct requirements” on the most powerful digital firms, effectively writing a new rulebook for how they can operate in the UK. This is a shift from punishment for past sins to setting the rules of the road for the future.
The CMA’s choice of Google as its first target is strategic. Tackling the company’s 90%+ share of the search market is a clear and powerful demonstration of the new regime’s purpose. The proposed remedies, such as “choice screens” and publisher controls, are bold and designed to have a tangible impact on the market.
With this single action, the UK has moved from debating digital regulation to actively implementing it. This new regime is now a reality, and Google is just the first of the major tech players that will have to learn to navigate its rules.