Months after declaring it was considering a high-level investigation, the UK's competition watchdog has started looking into the dominance of Apple and Google's mobile browsers.
In response to its June consultation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Tuesday that there was "strong support" for a thorough inquiry into the market dominance of Apple and Google as well as the ways in which Apple controls cloud gaming through its App Store.
According to the survey, 86% of participants are in favor of looking more closely at Apple and Google's market domination. The mobile ecosystems of the IT giants, according to browser manufacturers, web developers, and cloud gaming service providers, are hurting their operations, stifling innovation, and driving up unneeded expenses.
The input essentially supports the conclusions of the CMA's year-long investigation into the mobile ecosystems of Apple and Google, which the regulatory agency referred to as an "effective duopoly" that enables the businesses to "exercise a grip over these markets." Any limits can have a significant influence on users' experiences since, according to the CMA, 97% of all mobile web surfing in the UK in 2021 took place on browsers powered by either Apple's or Google's browser engine.
In a statement, Sarah Cardell, interim chief executive of the CMA, claimed that "many UK firms and web developers tell us they believe that they are being held back by constraints enforced by Apple and Google."
If the complaints we have heard are valid, we intend to look into them and, if they are, to determine what can be done to increase competition and innovation in these fields.
The CMA may request extensive information from Apple as part of the market investigation, which must be completed within 18 months, in order to reach conclusions and put into effect legally binding remedies, which may include orders requiring Apple to make significant changes to its business practices.
"We will continue to engage constructively with the Competition and Markets Authority to explain how our approach encourages competition and choice while ensuring consumers' privacy and security are always safeguarded," an Apple spokeswoman said.
Separately, the UK government is giving its Digital Markets Unit statutory authority to impose heavy fines on businesses that violate its regulations. The CMA is also continuing to look into Apple's App Store terms and conditions as part of a competition law inquiry that began in March 2021. A Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Bill, according to the British government, will be introduced before May of next year with provisions to address anti-competitive practices.