Britain’s competition watchdog on Friday paved the way for tougher regulation to tackle Google’s dominance in online search, under new targeted measures focused on technology giants.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has designated Google with “strategic market status” (SMS), subjecting it to special requirements, in a final decision following a nine-month investigation.

“We have found that Google maintains a strategic position in the search and search advertising sector,” Will Hayter, executive director for digital markets at the CMA, said in a statement.

A similar tech competition law from the European Union, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), carries the potential for hefty financial penalties.

The CMA plans to launch a consultation this year to determine the rules to impose

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