The British competition regulator has put forward proposals to give Chrome and Android users more choice on AI services.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) is proposing rules that would force Google to give users a choice in the search providers they want to use when setting up their Android phone or when they open Chrome.
It means Chrome and Google Android users would have more control over the services they use, particularly when it comes to AI platforms like ChatGPT.
Users would be prompted to pick a default once a year, and AI assistants would be shown on screen (if they meet the technical and security criteria to do so).
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA said: “The way people search for information online is changing, with new services creating fresh opportunities for innovation and competition.
“We’ve listened carefully to feedback and are responding quickly to the rise of AI assistants, which people are increasingly using as their search service, but aren’t included on Google’s choice screens.”
The proposals would also require search providers to attribute publisher content fairly, ensuring users can access source material with a complete knowledge of where it originated.
Cardell added: “This is about future-proofing the options available to people in the UK so they can choose the search service they want as these come to market.”
The CMA has launched a consultation into the proposals, and is inviting views from the public before 9 October. Following this, a final decision will be made, which is expected at the end of the year.
Earlier this year, Google changed its spam policy, which previously penalised news organisations search rankings, in a bid to avoid a potential EU antitrust fine.
Regulators have set Google in its sights due to its monopolistic power in search and discovery on the internet.
In the US, a federal judge recently advised Google to relax its online ad auction rules to encourage competition in the adtech space. This follows after the tech giant was ruled to have a monopoly in adtech and means Google will not need to break up this part of the business.
