UK regulator toughens Google choice screen proposals as AI assistants rise

The next time a UK Android user is asked to pick a search engine, ChatGPT could be one of the answers.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published strengthened proposals on Wednesday that would require Google to include AI assistants on its Android and Chrome choice screens, provided they meet technical and security criteria.

Under the plan, Google would have to offer a choice of search services when people set up an Android phone or first open Chrome, then prompt them every year to choose their default.

Any provider on those screens would also have to attribute publisher content clearly, so users can reach the source and see where results come from.

“We’ve listened carefully to feedback and are responding quickly to the rise of AI assistants, which people are increasingly using as their search service, but aren’t included on Google’s choice screens,” said Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s chief executive.

The user choice rules are the last outstanding piece of the package that the CMA proposed in January, after designating Google as a strategic market in search in October 2025.

It has already imposed publisher controls over AI features on June 3, and fair ranking and data portability requirements on June 17.

Comments on the new proposals are due by October 9, with a final decision expected by the end of the year.

In the earlier consultation, the Professional Publishers Association argued they should be excluded, saying they operate outside existing licensing frameworks, and the News Media Association warned of traffic being diverted away from publishers, A Media Operator reported.

The CMA says its revised plan reflects feedback from publishers, search providers, and consumer groups; the attribution requirement is new.

Google has its own objection; in its reply in March, it stated that presenting the choice screens every year would annoy users and suggested instead making a permanent switch in the device settings. However, the annual prompt has continued.

Google hopes to have a single switch, hidden within the settings. Instead, it might receive a question each year with more possible answers.