Google facing a tougher scrutiny from the UK's antitrust watchdog. The company has been labeled with what it's called strategic market status. It's the first company to receive that designation.The UK watchdog saying it's worried about the tech giant's market power in search and search advertising. The strategic market status label could open the door now for more in enforcement um and penalties. Joe, coming up, uh, denim prices are rising.We're going to hear from Levi Strauss next. But as we head to break, ...

Core Viewpoint - The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has activated new regulatory powers against Google, designating it with "strategic market status" for its search and search advertising services, which may lead to further regulatory actions [1][2][3]. Group 1: Regulatory Actions - The CMA has confirmed the designation of Google as having "strategic market status" for its general search and search advertising services, excluding Google's Geminis AI assistant from this designation [2]. - This designation comes as the CMA recognizes Google's dominant position, with over 90% of searches in the UK conducted on its platform [3]. Group 2: Economic Impact - Google claims that its search product contributes billions of pounds to the UK economy, emphasizing the importance of its services to the market [3]. Group 3: Industry Concerns - Google has expressed concerns that proposed regulatory interventions could inhibit innovation and growth in the UK, potentially delaying product launches during a critical period of AI-based innovation [4].

Core Viewpoint - Google is facing a £5 billion ($6.6 billion) legal claim in the UK from approximately 250,000 businesses, alleging overcharging for online advertising and abuse of its dominant market position [2][3]. Group 1: Legal Claims and Allegations - The law firm Geradin Partners has filed the claim with Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal, asserting that Google has engaged in monopolistic practices to exclude competitors from the search and search advertising markets [2]. - The claim is based on Google's conduct since 2011, which is said to have led to billions of pounds in overcharges for UK advertisers [3]. - This lawsuit is the first of its kind in the UK aimed specifically at compensating businesses for inflated advertising costs on Google [4]. Group 2: Ongoing Investigations and Regulatory Scrutiny - The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Google's dominance in the search-engine market, which may result in the company being designated "strategic market status" under new UK regulations [7]. - A similar class action lawsuit was filed in 2023, seeking £7 billion in compensation for consumers, indicating a broader concern over Google's pricing practices [4]. - Last year, a £13.6 billion claim was also filed against Google for alleged anti-competitive behavior in digital advertising [4].