Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.Google is bracing for another troubling year as 2025 begins with intensifying regulatory scrutiny and antitrust investigations. The tech giant is already burdened by numerous lawsuits and fines in 2024, including an astronomical $20.6 decillion penalty levied by Russian authorities. It now faces a new investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). This investigation, conducted under Part 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024, targets Google’s dominance in the search engine and advertising markets. New year, new (but same) Google lawsuit The investigation, expected to conclude in October 2025, will result in the CMA issuing its “Strategic Market Status (SMS) Decision Notice.” The CMA will examine how Google’s dominance affects consumers, advertisers, publishers, and rival search engines during this process. Potential outcomes could include imposing “conduct requirements” to mitigate anti-competitive behavior. The CMA’s inquiry focuses on three primary areas: Exploitative Practices: Google may collect consumer data without informed consent, potentially using it to train AI models. Similarly, it faces allegations of gathering publishers’ intellectual property under unfair terms. Self-Preferencing: The CMA is investigating whether Google prioritizes its services, such as specialized search for shopping or travel, within its search results, disadvantaging competitors. Barriers to Entry: Google’s influence on emerging AI technologies, including “answer engines,” might stifle innovation and limit competition….UK CMA investigating Google over search and ads market dominance