United Kingdom, Oct. 13 -- Google may soon be required to overhaul how its search engine operates in the UK.

This follows a landmark decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to classify the tech giant as having "strategic market status" (SMS) under new competition laws.

The designation - one of the first of its kind since the law came into force in January - does not accuse Google of wrongdoing, but gives the CMA sweeping powers to impose "proportionate, targeted interventions" to ensure fair competition.

Regulators said they will begin consulting on possible measures later in 2025, which could include giving users more choice over their default search engine and tightening how Google integrates its advertising and artif...