Former CMA Chairman Calls for Tougher UK Oversight of Major Technology Companies

LONDON — A former chairman of the Competition and Markets Authority has called for stronger UK enforcement against dominant global technology companies.

Marcus Bokkerink argued that Britain possesses the necessary legal powers to regulate major platforms but has not always applied them with sufficient determination. His intervention was reported by The Times on Sunday.

The debate concerns the UK's digital-markets competition regime, which came into force in January 2025. It allows the CMA to designate companies as having strategic market status where they possess substantial and entrenched power in a digital activity.

Designation is not itself a finding of wrongdoing. It gives the regulator authority to consider targeted requirements intended to promote competition and ensure that consumers and businesses are treated fairly.

Google has been designated as having strategic market status in general search and search advertising. The CMA has since imposed requirements concerning publisher content, search ranking and data portability.

One requirement gives publishers greater control over how their material is used in Google's generative-AI search features. Google must also provide clearer information about how content is used, stronger attribution and more detailed engagement data.

A separate rule requires Google to rank organic search results according to objective and non-discriminatory criteria, including results appearing in AI-powered features. It also requires greater transparency concerning important ranking changes.

Apple and Google have both been designated as having strategic market status in mobile platforms. The CMA is consulting on requirements that could allow app developers to direct customers to purchasing options outside the companies' app-payment systems.

Microsoft's business-software ecosystem is also under investigation. The CMA is examining whether bundling, default settings and limited interoperability may restrict customer choice. No final designation decision has yet been made.

Supporters of stronger enforcement argue that dominant platforms can act as gatekeepers controlling access to users, advertising markets, app distribution and online visibility. Small businesses, publishers and technology challengers may have limited bargaining power when they depend on these systems.

Critics of heavy regulation warn that poorly designed intervention could increase costs, delay innovation or discourage investment. The legal framework therefore requires measures to be targeted, proportionate and supported by evidence.

The central policy question is not simply whether government supports growth, but whether digital markets remain open enough for new companies to compete and for businesses and consumers to have meaningful choices.

The CMA says its programme is intended to produce practical benefits while minimising unnecessary burdens. Bokkerink's intervention adds pressure on ministers to ensure that the regulator has sufficient independence and political support to use its powers effectively.