Ammon News - Britain's competition regulator said it may force Google to rank businesses more fairly in search results and offer alternative services to consumers, marking the first use of expanded powers to oversee the world's biggest tech companies.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is proposing to designate Alphabet-owned Google with "strategic market status", it said on Tuesday, giving it more power to intervene in search services to increase innovation and economic growth.

If confirmed in October, the designation could compel Google to enhance transparency for publishers, simplify access to rival search services including artificial intelligence assistants, and facilitate data portability for competitors.

Google warned that "punitive regulation" could stop it bringing new features and services to Britain, and described the scope of the CMA's considerations as "broad and unfocused".

"Proportionate, evidence-based regulation will be essential to preventing the CMA's roadmap from becoming a roadblock to growth in the UK," said Oliver Bethell, Google's senior director for competition.

CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said Google, which accounts for more than 90% of search queries in Britain, had delivered tremendous benefits but the regulator had found ways to make markets more competitive and innovative.

"These targeted and proportionate actions would give UK businesses and consumers more choice and control over how they interact with Google's search services - as well as unlocking greater opportunities for innovation across the UK tech sector and broader economy," she said.

Millions of Britons relied on Google as a gateway to the internet and more than 200,000 businesses depended on Google search advertising to reach their customers, the regulator said. Reuters