What Movement For An Open Web does

Movement for an Open Web (MOW) is a UK-based campaigning coalition and advocacy organization representing digital marketing businesses and publishers concerned about Big Tech dominance over the open web. Founded in October 2020 as Marketers for an Open Web before rebranding to its current name, MOW is structured as a private limited company (company number 12888602) headquartered in London at the offices of Preiskel & Co LLP, with no commercial revenue stream and no external institutional investors. Its member and supporter base collectively represents over 21,000 advertisers, nearly 6 million websites, 63 million subscribers, more than 40,000 employees, and combined revenues exceeding $40 billion across 65+ countries.

MOW's primary initiative is the Search Only Contract (SOC), a free legal contract that publishers deploy via their Robots.txt files and/or website terms of use to assert content usage rights against AI harvesting bots. The SOC permits indexing only for search and human, non-commercial use, requiring a deal or fee for all other access requests, and relies on basic contract law rather than copyright or IP law for enforcement. The contract was launched publicly on June 15, 2026, with 31 UK websites deploying it pre-launch including Trusted Reviews, Road.cc, CaughtOffside, FootballItalia, and Recombu. MOW's broader activities include filing regulatory complaints, publishing policy commentary, and co-hosting events with industry partners such as Preiskel & Co LLP.

The organization operates as a non-profit advocacy group funded by member contributions, with no commercial pricing model and free public access to all of its resources. MOW's go-to-market is community-led, relying on its website, weekly newsletter, news page, and media engagement to attract supporters and raise awareness among regulators (CMA, European Commission, Ofcom), policymakers, media, and the public. Co-founders James Rosewell and Tim Cowen (Antitrust Chair at Preiskel & Co LLP) have driven formal engagements including a July 2025 complaint with the European Commission alongside Foxglove and the Independent Publishers Alliance, which led the EC to open an investigation into Google AI Overviews, and contributing to the CMA's announcement of new conduct requirements on Google.

Name

Movement For An Open Web

Legal name

Movement for an Open Web Limited

Website

https://movementforanopenweb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Movement for an Open Web is a UK-registered advocacy coalition of digital marketing and publishing businesses campaigning against Big Tech dominance. It develops the free Search Only Contract tool and engages regulators on competition and AI content usage issues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Temple

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues/support: MOW was established by and is supported by a coalition of businesses. The organization operates as a non-profit advocacy group funded by member contributions rather than commercial revenue. The website and SOC are provided free of charge.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Movement For An Open Web is an advocacy coalition that campaigns for fair competition on the open web against Big Tech platforms. Its main deliverable is the Search Only Contract (SOC), a free website-terms contract that publishers deploy via robots.txt to license content only for search and human non-commercial use, requiring AI harvesters to negotiate a deal or pay a fee. MOW also files regulatory complaints, publishes position papers, and runs campaigns via its website, weekly newsletter, and events.

Product overview

Movement For An Open Web is a digital competition advocacy organization, not a technology product company. The organization's primary offering is the Search Only Contract (SOC) — a legal contract that publishers can deploy to control AI company access to their content. The SOC sets terms requiring AI companies to pay for content usage or obtain permission. MOW also publishes regulatory analysis, position papers, and commentary on digital competition and privacy issues affecting the open web.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Search Only Contract (SOC) A free legal contract for website owners (publishers, digital media, content creators) that sets terms of access by AI harvesting bots. The contract permits indexing only for search and human non-commercial use, requiring AI companies to negotiate a deal or pay a fee for any other access. Deployed via robots.txt or website terms of use.

Quantifiable outcome

• CMA announced Conduct Requirements on Google following MOW complaint
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AOP (Association of Online Publishers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Industry body publicly supporting the Search Only Contract (SOC) initiative to help build a viable AI content economy. AOP encourages all publishers to make use of the initiatives at their disposal to support the drive toward a fair value exchange.
• ThinkboxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Industry body publicly supporting the Search Only Contract initiative. Thinkbox's CEO Lindsey Clay stated: 'Every professional content publisher should applaud this initiative. It's urgently needed to protect the future of quality editorial IP.'
• PPA (Professional Publishers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Industry body publicly supporting the Search Only Contract. PPA CEO Sajeeda Merali stated that publishers need meaningful control over their content and fair opportunity to secure value from AI usage.
• Impress (UK Press Regulator)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026UK press regulator publicly supporting the Search Only Contract. CEO Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana stated MOW's initiative provides an answer to how journalists can be paid for use of their work by AI.
• Football Writers' AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Industry body publicly supporting the Search Only Contract. FWA is recommending its implementation to members to ensure journalists are paid for use of their work by AI.
• CUTI (Clean Up the Internet)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026MOW applied to join CUTI in its legal challenge over Ofcom's refusal to comply with Freedom of Information Requests. Both cite concerns over transparency and accountability of the regulator enforcing the Online Safety Act 2023.
• FoxglovecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2025Co-filed complaint with European Commission against Google's AI Overviews in July 2025. Joint advocacy organization fighting for open web principles and digital rights.
• Independent Publishers AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2025Co-filed complaint with European Commission against Google's AI Overviews in July 2025. Alliance representing independent publishers' interests in digital advertising and AI issues.
• Preiskel & Co LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm co-hosting events with MOW and providing legal expertise. Tim Cowen is Antitrust Chair at Preiskel & Co LLP. MOW's registered office is at Preiskel & Co's offices.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Independent Publishers Alliance: Coalition representing independent publishers' interests in digital advertising and AI issues. Co-filed the EC complaint with MOW against Google's AI Overviews, making it a directly aligned peer focused on publisher rights against Big Tech.
• Foxglove: UK-based digital rights advocacy organization that co-files complaints and litigation on Big Tech accountability. Foxglove is MOW's direct partner on the European Commission complaint against Google AI Overviews, making it the most comparable peer in mission, geography, and operational model.
• Clean Up the Internet (CUTI): UK advocacy organization focused on internet accountability and transparency. MOW applied to join CUTI's legal challenge against Ofcom, making it a directly comparable peer in mission and UK regulatory focus.
• Open Markets Institute: US-based think tank focused on antitrust enforcement and breaking up Big Tech monopolies. Directly comparable in mission — challenging platform dominance — though more research/policy-oriented than MOW's coalition-and-tooling model.

Broad incumbents

• Internet Society: Global non-profit dedicated to an open, globally-connected, secure internet. Comparable mission around preserving the open web, though it operates at significantly larger international scale than MOW.
• Center for Democracy & Technology: US-based non-profit advocating for digital rights, competition, and AI governance. Comparable in policy advocacy focus and engagement with regulators, with broader scope across privacy, free expression, and AI.
• Article 19: International human rights organization focused on freedom of expression and information, including digital rights. Comparable advocacy model targeting platform power, though broader in geographic and thematic scope.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: Established US-based digital rights advocacy organization litigating and lobbying on Big Tech, AI, and internet openness issues. Operates at much larger scale and broader remit than MOW, but highly comparable in advocacy-driven mission around open web principles.

Emerging players

• Center for Humane Technology: US-based advocacy organization focused on the societal harms of large technology platforms. Comparable in mission to challenge Big Tech practices, though more focused on consumer/mental health angles than publisher economics.
• Future of Privacy Forum: US-based non-profit focused on data privacy and emerging tech policy. Partially comparable as a non-profit advocacy organization engaging regulators on tech industry issues, though more focused on privacy than competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/m4aow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/movement-for-an-open-web

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Movement For An Open Web