The UK's Competition and Markets Authority proposed on 23 September that Google offer Android and Chrome users a choice of search service [1].
The choice would appear when people first use an Android phone or open Chrome. After that, Google would prompt them every year to choose their default [1].
AI assistants could appear on the choice screens if they meet the regulator's criteria, including technical and security requirements. The CMA named ChatGPT and Perplexity as new services people are using to search [1].
Search providers on the screens would have to attribute publishers' content, so people can see where their results come from [1].
What it covers
The proposal covers Google's Android phones and Chrome browser in the UK [1].
The CMA designated Google's general search and search advertising services in October 2025. It found that more than 90% of searches in the UK take place on Google [2].
The designation lets the regulator set conduct rules. It imposed rules on publisher controls on 3 June, and on fair ranking and data portability on 17 June [1].
It says it has made 3 designations in search and mobile platforms in the 20 months since the UK's digital markets rules came into force [1].
What it does not tell you
What the final rules will be. The CMA is taking views until 9 October and expects to decide by the end of the year [1].
Which AI assistants would qualify. The release says they must meet "the relevant criteria, including technical and security requirements", and does not name any that do [1].
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