For years, the UK’s new digital rulebook was just a theory, a set of proposals and legal clauses debated by politicians and experts. With the designation of Google with “strategic market status,” that theory has crashed into high-stakes reality, marking the official start of a new, hands-on era of tech governance.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 is the name of this new rulebook, and it was written to solve a specific problem: old laws were too slow and weak to handle the power of modern tech giants. Now, its core mechanism is being put to the test for the first time.
The reality for Google is that it must now engage with a regulator that has the power to dictate how its core products work in the UK. The abstract threat of regulation has become a concrete process of consultation and compliance, with legally binding “conduct requirements” at the end of it. The potential penalties—fines up to 10% of global turnover—make this a reality the company cannot ignore.
The reality for the UK is that it must now prove its new model works. The Competition and Market Authority (CMA) has to design remedies that are both effective and legally robust. It has to manage a complex process involving a powerful global company, a host of smaller rivals, and the public interest. The success of this first case will determine the credibility of the UK’s entire digital regulation strategy.
This move transforms the relationship between the UK state and Big Tech from one of occasional confrontation to one of constant engagement. The rulebook is now open, and its first chapter is being written in real-time.