London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

UK regulator secures global competition commitment from Google

UK regulator secures global competition commitment from Google

Onlookers are concerned that Google's plans to improve user privacy would "cause online advertising spending to become even more concentrated" on itself.

Google has been given the nod by the UK's competition watchdog over its proposed reforms for online advertising, including banning third-party cookies within its web browser Chrome.

The technology giant - which alongside Facebook holds an enormous share of the global advertising market - says the reforms will improve how the industry handles individuals' data.

But onlookers including the Competition and Markets Authority are concerned that Google's plans would "cause online advertising spending to become even more concentrated on Google".

Victory for British regulation


In a victory for British regulators, on Friday the CMA said it was happy to let Google continue exploring its Privacy Sandbox plans having received commitments from Google which the company would roll-out on a global basis.

Crucially the CMA has blocked Google from removing third-party cookies until the regulator is satisfied that this won't post a competition risk.

Google says that the planned updates to its Chrome web browser (used by more than 69% of all web users) will remove "commonly used tracking mechanisms, like third-party cookies" as well as block covert techniques that websites use to identify their users.

Cookies are small files that get stored within web browsers when they visit a site and are for instance the software used to keep people logged in to a website.

Third-party cookies are cookies that don't originate from the site the web browser is currently visiting, instead being linked to a third-party, often an advertising service.

Many companies complained that Google removing third-party cookies would negatively impact their ability to tailor and personalise advertisements based on information they could collect on users, thus making them even more dependent on Google's own user databases.

The CMA was also concerned that the proposals "could undermine the ability of online publishers such as newspapers to generate revenue and continue to produce valuable content in the future, reducing the public’s choice of news sources".

The online news industry is losing a growing share of the advertising market to the "de-facto duopoly" of Google and Facebook, with more than 60% of all UK media advertising going to those companies in 2019.

Andrea Coscelli, the CMA's chief executive, said: "Our intervention in this case demonstrates our commitment to protecting competition in digital markets and our global role in shaping the behaviour of world-leading tech firms.

"The commitments we have obtained from Google will promote competition, help to protect the ability of online publishers to raise money through advertising and safeguard users' privacy.

"While this is an important step, we are under no illusions that our work is done. We now move into a new phase where we will keep a close eye on Google as it continues to develop these proposals.

"We will engage with all market participants in this process, in order to ensure that Google is taking account of concerns and suggestions raised," he added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×