UK CMA Wants AI Assistants on Google's Choice Screens

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority proposed on September 23 that Google present Android and Chrome users with a search-engine choice screen the first time they set up the device or open the browser, and prompt them again once a year to pick a default, Engadget reported.

AI assistants belong on that screen too. Products such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, which today have no slot on the Android or Chrome default surface where Gemini sits, would qualify if they meet the regulator's technical and security criteria. A third proposal requires providers on the screen to clearly credit and link back to publisher content.

"The way people search for information online is changing, with new services creating fresh opportunities" for innovation and competition, said Sarah Cardell, the CMA's chief executive.

The consultation runs until October 9, with a final decision expected by year-end. The package sits on top of the strategic market status the CMA handed Google search in October 2025, and stacks with earlier steps this year: on June 3 publishers gained the ability to opt out of AI results, and on June 17 fair-ranking and data-portability requirements took effect. Google's Gemini currently ships tightly integrated with Google Search, with no alternative on any choice screen.

This is one of a run of regulator moves we have been tracking in our regulation feed, and the first that treats an AI assistant as a substitute good the OS distributor has to offer alternatives to.