The UK’s next search-market change may not be another Google results-page redesign.
It could happen before the user performs a search at all.
On 23 September, the Competition and Markets Authority published updated proposals covering how Google presents search choices to UK users on Android and Chrome.
The proposal is notable for one reason in particular:
AI assistants could qualify for those search choice screens.
That means services such as AI assistants would potentially sit inside the same default-selection process as conventional search providers, provided they meet the CMA’s technical and security criteria.
This is still a consultation.
It is not a final requirement, and the CMA says it expects to reach a final decision by the end of 2026.
But marketers and publishers should understand what is actually being proposed.
The choice would appear during setup — and again every year
Under the proposal, Google would be required to give Android and Chrome users a choice of search services.
The CMA describes two important moments.
The first would occur when somebody sets up an Android device or opens Chrome for the first time.
The second is recurring: users would receive another prompt every year to reconsider their default provider.
That makes this different from a one-off setup screen that most people never revisit.
If implemented in its current form, default-search choice would become a recurring user decision.
For marketers, that means search distribution could become more fragmented over time rather than being determined entirely at initial device setup.
AI assistants could compete for default position
The most interesting change is the CMA’s decision to explicitly accommodate AI assistants.
The regulator says AI assistants could appear where they satisfy the relevant technical and security requirements.
That reflects a change in user behaviour the CMA specifically cites in its proposal: people increasingly use services such as ChatGPT and Perplexity for activities traditionally associated with search.
The proposal therefore treats “search choice” as broader than a list of conventional search engines.
That does not mean any AI assistant automatically receives a slot.
Eligibility criteria still apply.
Nor does it mean the proposal has been adopted.
The consultation remains open until 9 October 2026.
Publisher attribution is part of the proposal
The CMA also links eligibility to publisher attribution.
Search providers appearing on the choice screen would need to attribute publisher content clearly and accurately.
The regulator says users should be able to identify where information came from and access the underlying source.
For publishers, that creates a second dimension to the choice-screen story.
This is not only about which provider receives the default.
It is also about how eligible providers handle source material.
That could make citation and source access part of the competitive requirements around AI-assisted search in the UK.
The exact implementation will depend on the final conduct requirement.
UK and EEA search rules are moving on separate tracks
European search teams increasingly need to avoid treating “Europe” as one regulatory configuration.
The United Kingdom is operating under its digital-markets competition regime through the CMA.
EEA markets are simultaneously dealing with changes associated with the EU Digital Markets Act.
The mechanisms are different.
The UK proposal focuses here on user choice in Google Android and Chrome and potentially expanding the range of eligible default providers.
EEA changes tracked by NEMO include different requirements affecting Google Search surfaces, comparison services and access to Search data.
For an international search team, the practical consequence is straightforward:
UK and EEA results, defaults and user journeys should increasingly be analysed separately.
A UK observation should not automatically be treated as an EEA observation, or vice versa.
What marketers should monitor before the decision
There is nothing to implement in an advertising or SEO account today solely because this consultation exists.
There are, however, several things worth recording.
1. Which AI assistants ultimately qualify
The current proposal creates the possibility. The final eligible-provider framework will determine the practical effect.
2. How the choice screen is presented
Position, ordering, explanation and selection mechanics can affect user behaviour.
3. The annual prompt
A recurring prompt could matter more than a one-time setup decision because it repeatedly reopens the default.
4. Publisher attribution requirements
Watch how the CMA defines adequate source attribution and access.
5. UK-versus-EEA traffic patterns
If the requirement is implemented, Search Console, analytics and referral data may eventually reveal whether discovery behaviour diverges.
Do not report a proposal as a rollout
The regulatory status is important.
As of 2 October:
- the CMA has published strengthened proposals;
- the consultation closes 9 October;
- Google has not yet been placed under this final choice-screen requirement;
- the CMA expects a final decision by the end of the year.
That distinction should stay in every headline and analysis.
NEMO will update this story when the CMA publishes a final decision rather than treating consultation language as a completed product change.
For now, the important development is that the UK’s definition of search choice is expanding to account for AI assistants.
That alone shows how quickly the competitive structure around search is changing.
Primary sources
UK Competition and Markets Authority — strengthened search-choice proposals: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-strengthens-proposals-allowing-people-choice-over-their-search-service
CMA consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/googles-general-search-services-proposed-user-choice-conduct-requirement
NEMO Europe — Google DMA Search tracker: https://nemo-europe.com/research/trackers/google-dma-search/
This article describes a regulatory proposal, not a final CMA requirement. Status checked 2 October 2026.