The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published two short guides explaining how its new rules for Google search will work: the publisher conduct requirement and the fair ranking conduct requirement. Both reflect feedback we gave to the CMA on behalf of publishers.

Publisher conduct requirement

This gives publishers the ability to stop Google using their content to power its AI search features in the UK. From this, Google must:

• Let publishers opt out of having their content used to train its AI models, and to ground AI answers such as AI Overviews, AI Mode and Gemini.
• Avoid penalising publishers who opt out, for example by ranking them lower elsewhere in Search.
• Be transparent about how the controls work, how content is used, and share data such as clicks and referral traffic from AI features.
• Properly attribute publisher content in AI features, with a clear link back to the original source.

Google has until 3 December 2026 to comply, with an extra three months for a page level version of the control.

Fair ranking conduct requirement

This covers how Google ranks and displays organic search results, though not paid results or ads. It requires Google to:

• Rank organic results fairly, without favouring its own services or penalising publishers who advertise less, opt out of AI training, or take legal action against it.
• Give advance notice of major ranking changes: 30 business days if publishers could act to reduce the impact, or 15 business days for other significant changes.
• Provide a clear way for publishers to raise concerns about ranking changes.

Google has until 17 December 2026 to comply.

The PPA continue to engage with the CMA throughout the implementation of the new Conduct Requirements. To speak with our team about this work please contact eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk