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Invitation to comment: SMS investigation into Google’s general search and search advertising services
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The CMA has launched an ‘initial SMS investigation’ under Part 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
The CMA is investigating whether to designate Google as having Strategic Market Status (SMS) in respect of its provision of general search and search advertising services.
If a firm is designated as having SMS, the CMA can impose interventions including through setting conduct requirements or pro-competition interventions.
The CMA has published an invitation to comment (ITC) relating to its investigation and invites submissions, in particular on:
the scope of our SMS investigation and main avenues of investigation; and
whether the potential issues are the right ones on which to focus, and how any interventions could be designed effectively and proportionately.
We welcome responses on the questions set out in this ITC by 11.55pm on 3rd February 2025.
How to respond
You can respond by email to searchsms@cma.gov.uk or upload your response in the form below.
In your response, please state whether you are responding as an individual or are representing the views of a group or organisation. If the latter, please make clear who you are representing and their role or interest.
In pursuit of our policy of openness and transparency we will publish responses on our webpages. We may also wish to refer to comments received in response to this consultation in future publications.
If your response contains any information that you would not wish to be published, please also provide a non-confidential version for publication which omits that material and explains why you regard it as confidential, as specified in the invitation to comment.
The CMA has launched an ‘initial SMS investigation’ under Part 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
The CMA is investigating whether to designate Google as having Strategic Market Status (SMS) in respect of its provision of general search and search advertising services.
If a firm is designated as having SMS, the CMA can impose interventions including through setting conduct requirements or pro-competition interventions.
The CMA has published an invitation to comment (ITC) relating to its investigation and invites submissions, in particular on:
the scope of our SMS investigation and main avenues of investigation; and
whether the potential issues are the right ones on which to focus, and how any interventions could be designed effectively and proportionately.
We welcome responses on the questions set out in this ITC by 11.55pm on 3rd February 2025.
How to respond
You can respond by email to searchsms@cma.gov.uk or upload your response in the form below.
In your response, please state whether you are responding as an individual or are representing the views of a group or organisation. If the latter, please make clear who you are representing and their role or interest.
In pursuit of our policy of openness and transparency we will publish responses on our webpages. We may also wish to refer to comments received in response to this consultation in future publications.
If your response contains any information that you would not wish to be published, please also provide a non-confidential version for publication which omits that material and explains why you regard it as confidential, as specified in the invitation to comment.
