UK Watchdog Launches Market Probe into Apple, Google

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) has launched an in-depth market investigation into Apple and Google’s mobile dominance, Politico is reporting.

According to a recent CMA survey, Apple and Google “hold all the cards” in mobile ecosystems, which allows them to “exercise a stranglehold over operating systems, app stores, and web browsers.”

The survey showed that 97% of all mobile web browsing in the U.K. in 2021 occurred on browsers powered by Apple’s Safari or Google’s Chrome. Moreover, Apple’s restrictions on cloud gaming through its App Store were also highlighted in the study’s findings.

In an official statement, Apple said that it would “continue to engage constructively with the Competition and Markets Authority to explain how our approach promotes competition and choice.”

“Many UK businesses and web developers tell us they feel that they are being held back by restrictions set by Apple and Google,” Sarah Cardell, interim chief executive of the CMA, said Tuesday. “We plan to investigate whether the concerns we have heard are justified and, if so, identify steps to improve competition.”

The CMA is required to end a market investigation within 18 months.