The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ordered Google not just to give site owners a way to opt out of AI Overviews but also to explain how the search engine ranks its search results. Also, the CMA has ordered Google to allow users to port their search data to certain third-party services.
Transparency on search rankings. The CMA wants Google to “improve transparency and fairness in how search results are ranked,” and implement this within 6 months.
UK businesses told the CMA that Google’s “ranking practices are neither fair nor transparent,” adding “changes are made without sufficient notice, and when these changes impact their businesses, they do not have effective ways to raise concerns.”
Technically, yes, we cover Google search updates all the time. Google continues to adjust its ranking algorithms to (1) improve the relevancy of those search results and (2) to remove those who try to manipulate those results.
The CMA added that under this conduct requirement, Google must:
- Introduce clear processes for businesses to raise concerns about how Google ranks results and have them addressed effectively
- Rank ‘organic’ search results using objective and non-discriminatory criteria (including in AI Overviews but not sponsored results)
- Provide greater transparency to businesses about how rankings work and give advance notice of significant changes
Data portability. The CMA also wants Google to “Allow users to port their search data to authorized third parties such as rewards platforms or companies offering personalized offers or discount codes” within 3 months.
“Third-party firms are keen to offer people new products and services based on their Google search data but need to be able to access it with confidence. Using this data would allow third parties to offer people more personalized features – like tailored travel suggestions, more relevant shopping deals, and rewards (including cashback and discounts),” the CMA wrote.
Why we care. I highly doubt Google will follow these orders, as doing so would put its most prized asset – the search ranking algorithm – in its competitors’ hands. It will also show all how rankings work, thus making it easier to manipulate and spam.
The CMA is not the first to ask for this and won’t be the last, but Google will no doubt vigorously fight these orders.
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