UK to Probe Apple, Google Over Alleged 'Duopoly' of Mobile Browser Market
Apple’s and Google’s dominance in the mobile browser space is prompting a UK regulator to launch an investigation into how it can stop the companies’ alleged “duopoly” over the market.
“Without interventions, both companies are likely to maintain, and even strengthen, their grip over the sector, further restricting competition and limiting incentives for innovators,” the UK’s Competition and Market Authority (CMA) said(Opens in a new window) on Friday.
The regulator is launching the investigation after it completed a study(Opens in a new window) on the mobile ecosystem. The study concluded that both Apple and Google “have a stranglehold” on the software available on the iOS and Android operating systems, which can make it difficult for rival companies to compete or stand out. For example, Apple requires all mobile browsers on iOS to use the company’s WebKit engine, the CMA noted.
“Many companies have raised frustrations with us,” the study added. “Tens of thousands of UK businesses such as app and web developers, which rely on these ecosystems to serve their customers, face restrictions and terms that they have little choice but to accept.”
The CMA acknowledged that both Apple’s Safari browser and Google Chrome are also positively received by consumers. Nevertheless, the regulator’s chief executive, Andrea Coscelli, said: “As good as many of their services and products are, their strong grip on mobile ecosystems allows them to shut out competitors, holding back the British tech sector and limiting choice.”
To take action, the CMA plans on launching a formal market investigation into Apple’s and Google’s dominance over the browser market. If the investigation concludes that both browsers have an “adverse effect on
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