Google’s online search empire faces is being targeted with a fresh probe under the United Kingdom’s sweeping new online competition law, officials announced on Tuesday.

Britain's competition watchdog flexed new digital market powers on Monday for the first time with an investigation into Google's search and search ad businesses. Under beefed-up rules that took effect this month designed to protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices by Big Tech companies,

Google is the first company investigated for potential strategic market status under the new U.K. Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.

Britain will use new regulatory powers to investigate Google's search services to see how they impact consumers and businesses, including advertisers and rivals, following U.S. calls to break up the tech giant.

The UK’s competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Google to determine if its position in search services should warrant a special status for the company, which could see it bound by certain conduct rules.

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares are treading water Tuesday amid reports Google has come under investigation by U.K. officials related to Search dominance.

The UK’s competition watchdog launched its first significant investigation under the country’s strict new competition laws on Tuesday, looking into Google search services. TakeAway Points: Google’s “strategic market status” (SMS) is being evaluated by the Competition and Markets Authority in accordance with the recently passed Digital Markets,

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It will be the first investigation under a new digital markets competition regime that could force the company to change its conduct.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its investigation would look to establish whether Google’s search and search advertising services should be designated with strategic market ...

The investigation might lead to Google getting the "strategic market status", subjecting it to special requirements under new UK regulations. The Competition and Markets Authority will probe if ...