The UK's competition watchdog has officially slapped Google with "strategic market status," a new legal label that gives the regulator far-reaching powers to rein in how the search giant runs its empire.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Friday that Google meets the legal threshold for "strategic market status" under the UK's new Digital Markets Act , giving it sweeping oversight of its search and advertising business. The move doesn't accuse Google of wrongdoing, but it does formally recognize that the firm holds "substantial and entrenched market power" and occupies a "position of strategic significance" in the digital economy.

The designation, which covers Google Search and associated products such as Top Stories, Discover, and News tabs, as well as newer AI features

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