London: Britain’s antitrust watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), will concentrate its regulatory interventions in digital markets on areas with a “clear and direct” impact on UK consumers and businesses. It will also provide a structured “road map” for Big Tech companies under scrutiny, CMA CEO Sarah Cardell announced on Monday.
The shift aligns with the British government’s revised strategic direction for the CMA, following criticism last year that the regulator was not doing enough to foster economic growth. In January, the government appointed former Amazon UK head Doug Gurr as the CMA’s interim chair, signaling a more business-oriented regulatory stance.
Cardell emphasized that while promoting competition remains central to the CMA’s mission, the regulator must refine its approach to enhance business and investor confidence.
“We will consider the interplay with other regulators domestically and internationally,” she stated at the techUK Policy Conference, adding that the CMA would focus on cases where it is best positioned to act.
A key aspect of this refined strategy is the implementation of the CMA’s new “four Ps” framework—pace, predictability, proportionality, and process. This framework will guide the authority’s oversight of Big Tech firms and merger control efforts.
As of January, the CMA gained expanded powers to investigate technology companies with annual revenues exceeding £1 billion ($1.29 billion) in the UK or £25 billion globally. This designation, known as “strategic market status,” currently applies to a select group of companies, including U.S. tech giants Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and Apple, which are already subject to CMA investigations.
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Cardell outlined that a new procedural step—a “road map”—will be introduced for companies designated as having strategic market status. This document will offer greater clarity on regulatory priorities by detailing which issues will be addressed promptly, which will be deprioritized, and which remain under evaluation.
The CMA plans to release road maps for its ongoing investigations into search engine and mobile ecosystems in June and July, respectively.
Cardell described these changes as part of a “more nuanced approach” to regulation.
“I think it’s one that creates a real opportunity for the UK,” she concluded.
