UK CMA opens investigations into Apple and Google mobile ecosystems

Date:
Fri, 24 Jan 2025 10:54:01 +0000

Description:
Apple and Google could end up having to make apps and app content easier to obtain from elsewhere, and offer fairer terms to app developers hosting their content on its official stores.

FULL STORY

The UK government has announced the launch of two antitrust investigations
into the mobile ecosystems of both Apple and Google by the countrys
competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

In the accompanying press release , the CMA defined a mobile ecosystem as including the operating systems, app stores and browsers that operate on
mobile devices.

Core elements of the investigation include the extent of competition between Apple and Googles ecosystems, how each company may be leveraging its power to maintain footholds into other activities and favour their own platforms, and whether either company is exploiting app developers by strong-arming them
into unfair terms and conditions in order to have their products accepted
onto their respective app stores.

CMAs Apple and Google investigation

The CMA cites such potential conduct requirements as allowing users to
download apps or in-app content from other sources more easily beyond its own app stores. Presently, while Googles Android is a more open operating system that does permit this, Apples iOS is much more of a walled garden.

Speaking for the CMA, its chief executive Sarah Cardell said that more competitive mobile ecosystems could foster new innovations and new opportunities across a range of services that millions of people use, be they app stores, browsers or operating systems.

Better competition, she claimed, could also boost growth here in the UK, with businesses able to offer new and innovative types of products and services on Apples and Googles platforms.

Both investigations have a statutory deadline of October 22, 2025, and follow the announcement of a similar strategic market status (SMS) investigation
into how Googles search engine impacts advertisers and publishers, as well as its own rivals.

The announcement by the CMA of its investigation into mobile app store monopolies also follows its naming of Doug Gurr, former Country Manager for Amazon UK and President of Amazon China, as interim chair days earlier.

In that statement , the UK Government said that Gurr, currently the director
of Natural History Museum, will lead the CMA in support[ing] growth for [the country].

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/uk-cma-opens-investigations-into-apple-and-googl e-mobile-ecosystems

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The UK government has announced the launch of two antitrust
investigations into the mobile ecosystems of both Apple and Google by
the countrys competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

I wish it was happening here. Google and Apple can easily adapt their policies to accommodate any new rules set by the UK government.

Core elements of the investigation include the extent of competition between Apple and Googles ecosystems, how each company may be leveraging its power to maintain footholds into other activities and favour their
own platforms, and whether either company is exploiting app developers
by strong-arming them into unfair terms and conditions in order to have their products accepted onto their respective app stores.

It shouldn't take long for that investigation to be complete. I've been saying since day 1 that "APPs" are useless. The only real advantage to APPs vs the web is that they can do offline functions, but technically, webpages can do offline functions too, provided that the webpage is downloaded to the device before going offline. They should also investigate the usefulness of APPs in general.

But the purpose of their investigation is valid. This APP crap literally just puts the biggest brands at people's fingertips, and keeps competition at bay.

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But the purpose of their investigation is valid. This APP crap literally just >puts the biggest brands at people's fingertips, and keeps competition at bay.

I agree. They (especially apple) like to make it difficult to side-load anything that is not in their app store in order to maintain a monopoly on
what is and isn't readily available.


* SLMR 2.1a * "And there she was, like double-cherry pie..."
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But the purpose of their investigation is valid. This APP crap literally >puts the biggest brands at people's fingertips, and keeps competition at

I agree. They (especially apple) like to make it difficult to side-load anything that is not in their app store in order to maintain a monopoly
on what is and isn't readily available.

From what I understand, this is what Windows 11 is all about (for computers.)

But of course, it also has "a more modern UI, improved multitasking capabilities." (Yea sure.)

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