UK watchdog proposes search and AI assistant choices on Android and Chrome

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed letting people choose their preferred search provider on Android smartphones and in the Chrome browser, so that Google's own search engine is not used automatically. The regulator's latest proposal, which follows measures it recommended at the beginning of 2026, also covers AI assistants and the attribution of publisher content in search results.

Three main recommendations

The CMA's proposal has three primary recommendations. The first would force Google and Android smartphone makers to give buyers a choice of search platforms when they use their phone or open Chrome for the first time — followed by a yearly prompt. The second would allow a choice of AI assistants, provided they meet certain technical and security requirements. The third calls on all search providers to attribute publisher content when displaying search results, so that people can easily see and access those sources.

Users in the UK already get to choose their search provider on both Android and Chrome, so the new proposal may mainly be about codifying that. Yearly reminders to choose a search engine, however, would be new.

Why the CMA is acting now

According to CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell, the way people search for information online is changing, with new services creating fresh opportunities for innovation and competition. "We've listened carefully to feedback and are responding quickly to the rise of AI assistants, which people are increasingly using as their search service, but aren't included on Google's choice screens," she said. Cardell described the proposal as future-proofing the options available to people in the UK.

Earlier remedies and the AI assistant question

The proposals follow a rule imposed on June 3rd that allows publishers to opt out of AI results, and fair Google search ranking and data portability requirements introduced on June 17th.

Many territories, including Europe, already mandate that smartphone makers give buyers a choice of search engine and browser when they first use a device. For AI assistants, Google's Gemini is still tightly integrated into Google Search, so there is no way to change it yet. Apple has reportedly introduced private hooks into macOS 27 and iOS 27 that will let apps replace Siri AI's server with third-party models like Claude — possibly in anticipation of new rules around AI assistants.