05:36 AM EDT, 06/24/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates to include Google's ( GOOG ) response in the fifth paragraph.)

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority said Tuesday it has proposed to designate Alphabet (GOOG) unit Google ( GOOG ) as having "strategic market status" in the provision of general search and search advertising services.

The regulator is seeking feedback on the proposed decision by July 22 and has set out a roadmap on how it might tackle potential conduct requirements and pro-competition interventions if Google ( GOOG ) is designated as having strategic market status, it said.

The statutory deadline for the issuance of the strategic market status decision is Oct. 13. If designated, the regulator may force the company to ensure more fair rankings for businesses that show up on Google ( GOOG ) search, among other changes.

"These targeted and proportionate actions would give UK businesses and consumers more choice and control over how they interact with Google's ( GOOG ) search services - as well as unlocking greater opportunities for innovation across the UK tech sector and broader economy," Reuters quoted CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell as saying.

A Google ( GOOG ) spokesperson said the proposal "could have significant implications for businesses and consumers in the UK" and cautioned that overly aggressive regulation could hurt the UK's economy.

"We're concerned that the scope of the CMA's considerations remains broad and unfocused, with a range of interventions being considered before any evidence has been provided," said Oliver Bethell, Google's ( GOOG ) senior director of competition.

"Proportionate, evidence-based regulation will be essential to preventing the CMA's roadmap from becoming a roadblock to growth in the UK," he said. "As we move into the next phase of this process, we will continue working constructively with the CMA to avoid measures that would limit opportunities for UK businesses and consumers. "