Report suggests that UK investigate duopoly between Apple and Google

Apple may be hindering innovation in smartphone browsers, according to a British regulatory report, which recommended that Apple and Google’s duopoly in mobile ecosystems be investigated under the body’s new powers.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Friday that its investigation group has provisionally found that the mobile browser market is not working well for British companies and millions of smartphone users.

The group’s biggest concerns relate to Apple’s policies regarding web access on iPhones. The research tentatively concluded that Apple’s rules restrict competitors’ ability to offer new features that could benefit consumers.

The group said many smaller British app developers wanted to use progressive web apps — an alternative way of delivering apps to users without needing to download them through an app store — but this technology had failed to fully take off on Apple devices. .

A revenue-sharing agreement between Google and Apple also reduced incentives to compete in the mobile browser industry on Apple devices, the report found.

The CMA’s unit on digital markets, created more than three years ago, has gained new powers to tackle the dominance of big technology companies through market interventions. The new regime is expected to come into force in January.

Apple said it disagrees with the CMA group’s findings about its Safari browser and app navigation on its iOS operating system.

“We are concerned that interventions discussed in the report for future consideration under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act could harm users’ privacy and security and hinder our ability to develop technologies that set Apple apart,” the company said in a statement. .

The CMA opened an investigation into the market after discovering in 2021 that Apple and Google had an effective duopoly in mobile ecosystems, including operating systems, app stores and web browsers on mobile devices.

The inquiry group’s chair, Margot Daly, said the issues identified in the report should be reviewed by the regulator under the scope of its new powers. The CMA is expected to make a final decision in March.