UK watchdog proposes rules to give users more choice over internet search providers and AI
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The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed new rules that could give Android and Chrome users more choice over their default search providers, including qualifying AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, Reuters reported.
Under the proposals, Google would be required to show users a choice of search providers when they first set up an Android phone or open Chrome. Users would also be prompted once a year to select their preferred default search provider.
AI assistants that meet the required technical and security standards could appear alongside traditional search providers on these choice screens.
The proposals would also require search providers to fairly attribute publisher content, allowing users to access source material and understand where search results originated.
“The way people search for information online is changing,” CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said. She said the regulator had responded to feedback and the growing use of AI assistants as search services, while noting that such assistants are not currently included on Google’s choice screens.
The consultation on the proposals will remain open until October 9, with the CMA expected to make a final decision by the end of the year.
In June, the watchdog ordered Google to provide greater transparency about how its search rankings work under new rules intended to promote competition.
The latest proposals come as AI assistants are increasingly being used to search for and retrieve information online. If adopted, qualifying AI assistants could compete for placement on Google’s search-provider choice screens alongside conventional search services.