Ann Summers has accused Google of unfairly blocking its website from search results due to the tech giant’s SafeSearch feature—while competitors like Amazon and Marks & Spencer remain unaffected.
The adult retailer claims Google’s content filters are “distorting the market” for lingerie and sex toys by effectively blacklisting Ann Summers’ website while allowing similar products from major retailers to remain visible.
Google introduced SafeSearch in 2009 as a tool to filter out adult content from search results. While it is optional, many internet providers now turn it on by default—causing a major impact on businesses like Ann Summers.
The company claims that when SafeSearch is enabled, customers searching for its products cannot find its website, despite similar items being freely displayed from retailers like Amazon and Boots.
🔹 Example: Searching for “Ann Summers sex toys” results in blurred-out links to its website, while the same products sold by Boots or Amazon remain visible.
🔹 Unfair Advantage: Competitors such as Marks & Spencer and Amazon continue to appear in search results even though they sell comparable lingerie and wellness products.
Ann Summers has formally complained to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is currently investigating Google’s dominance in the search engine market.
In a statement to the CMA, the company said:
“For users with SafeSearch on, including those who have not explicitly chosen this feature, they cannot find us via Google Search, the biggest search engine.”
It argues that this drives traffic away from its business to competitors unfairly, calling it “inconsistent policy enforcement” by Google.
A new $7 billion legal action against Google over its market dominance has been approved for trial, highlighting growing concerns about the tech giant's influence (Lawyer Monthly - Legal Action Against Google Approved for Trial). Ann Summers’ claims about unfair search restrictions align with broader legal challenges against Google’s competitive practices.
ann summers store
The impact on Ann Summers has been severe:
📉 Annual sales fell by 11% to £93 million, with the company blaming Google’s restrictions as a contributing factor.
👩💻 Over 3 million website visits lost due to SafeSearch filtering.
🚀 Launched a separate website, Knickerbox, in an attempt to bypass restrictions.
The CMA’s ongoing investigation into Google’s dominance in search and its impact on competition could have major implications. If Google is officially designated with “strategic market status”, regulators could impose strict new rules on how the company handles search results for businesses.
An Ann Summers spokesperson emphasized the need for fair treatment:
“For years, Google SafeSearch has imposed restrictions that have reduced the visibility of our website in search engines... There continues to be an inequity on sexual wellness retailers in comparison to general retailers that also stock these products.”
The EU has long been working to curb Google’s data dominance, with past regulations aiming to limit the tech giant’s control over online markets (Lawyer Monthly - EU Set to Curb Data Dominance). Ann Summers’ claims about search result bias align with ongoing efforts to ensure fair competition in digital spaces.
Google is already under increasing regulatory pressure, with growing concerns about its search engine practices, data collection, and its impact on businesses.
As competition authorities scrutinize Google’s control over search visibility, Ann Summers’ battle highlights a wider debate on digital fairness and the impact of algorithmic bias on businesses.
📢 What do you think? Should Google’s SafeSearch policies be reviewed to ensure fairness for all retailers? Let us know in the comments below!
