Investing.com -- The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Tuesday proposed designating Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) with strategic market status under a new digital markets competition regime, marking the first steps to improve competition in search services in the U.K.. The CMA said it will consult on this proposal before making a final decision in October. If Google receives this designation, the regulator would gain the ability to introduce targeted measures addressing specific aspects of how Google operates its search services in the U.K. Beyond the initial designation, the CMA plans to consider a second category of actions to address more complex issues over a longer timeframe. These include concerns about Google’s bargaining position with publishers, its treatment of rival specialized search firms, and transparency and control issues related to search advertising. The move is part of the regulator’s push to increase competition in the U.K.’s digital search sector, currently led by Google.