UK CMA Proposes Strict New Rules for Google Transparency AI Overviews and "User Choice" in Focus

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of the UK has launched a public consultation on a series of proposed measures to regulate Google. This follows the official designation of Google as having Strategic Market Status (SMS) in the web search market.

The Four Pillars of Proposed Regulation

The CMA is seeking feedback on four key interventions designed to curb Google’s market dominance:

1. Granular Web Content Control: Website owners must be given the power to choose how their content is utilized. Specifically, they should be able to opt-in or out of specific features, such as appearing in standard search results versus being used in AI Overviews.

2. Algorithmic Transparency: Google will be mandated to provide transparent guidelines on its ranking processes. This ensures fairness across traditional search, AI Overviews, and the dedicated "AI Mode."

3. Mandatory Choice Screens: To encourage competition, Google must implement "Choice Screens" on Android and Chrome, allowing users to easily select their preferred default search engine.

4. Data Portability: Both individual users and businesses must be able to export their data easily, though specific technical details for this requirement are still being refined.

Cloudflare Strategic Intervention: Separate the Crawlers

While the CMA's measures are broad, Cloudflare has stepped in with a specific and impactful suggestion. Cloudflare points out that Google currently uses a single crawler Googlebot for both traditional indexing and AI training.

By using one "all-access" bot, Google ensures its AI has the most extensive data reach in the world. Cloudflare argues that the CMA should force Google to decouple its crawlers. This would allow publishers to block AI-specific scraping while still appearing in Google’s essential search results.

• Google's classification under the new UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (CMA) gives the CMA the power to "ex-ante" without waiting for a monopoly to occur, a more powerful weapon than ordinary laws.

• Cloudflare's focus on crawler separation is crucial in 2026 because many website owners are concerned that AI Overviews is "cannibalizing clicks" as users get answers directly from search results without clicking through to the original website. Separating the crawler would help websites regain bargaining power.

• This UK measure is often seen as a model for other Commonwealth and EU countries. If Google separates its crawler in the UK, it's highly likely it will do the same globally for easier technical management.

• Data portability isn't just about moving personal data; it also includes "search history" and "preferences," allowing competitors to learn user behavior and provide more accurate results faster than Google. 

 

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Source - Cloudflare