UK regulator wants Android and Chrome users to get clearer search and AI assistant choices

# What the CMA is proposing

# Concrete measures in the proposal

• First-use choice screen: Android device makers and Google would need to present buyers with a choice of search platforms when they first use a phone or open Chrome. That mirrors rules already in place in some jurisdictions, including parts of Europe.

• Annual reminder: Users would see a yearly prompt to confirm or change their preferred search provider, a step the CMA says would help keep options current as new services appear.

• AI assistant options: The CMA wants AI assistants to appear on the same choice screens as search engines, provided the assistants meet defined technical and security requirements. The regulator framed this as a response to changing user behaviour, where people increasingly use AI services in place of traditional search.

• Publisher attribution: All search providers would need to attribute publisher content when it is displayed in search results or in AI assistant responses, so users can see and access original sources easily.

# Background and regulatory context

These proposals follow CMA measures introduced earlier in 2026. On June 3rd the regulator imposed a rule allowing publishers to opt out of having their content used in AI results. On June 17th it introduced requirements on fair Google search ranking and data portability. The CMA says the new proposals react to rapid developments in how people search, specifically the growing role of generative AI assistants that are not currently included on Google's choice screens.

# What this would mean for users and the market

For users, the practical changes are straightforward: a visible choice when setting up a device, a reminder each year, and the option to pick an AI assistant as a default if it meets the required standards. That could make it easier for newer search engines and assistants to gain distribution without being locked out by default settings.

For device makers and platform owners, the rules would require implementation work: designing and showing choice screens, validating third‑party assistants against security and technical criteria, and ensuring search result pages and assistant outputs carry clear publisher attribution. For publishers, the attribution requirement increases transparency about how their content is reused in search and assistant outputs.

# What remains open

The CMA's proposal describes conditions for including AI assistants on choice screens but does not, in the published summary, provide full technical specifications or a timetable for enforcement. Questions also remain about how annual prompts will be implemented without causing user fatigue, and what specific security standards assistants must meet.

# Bottom line