Apple and Google have 'effective duopoly' in UK says regulator
A law which came in last year means the regulator can demand changes at a firm if it is found to hold too much market power.The proposed decision would designate Apple and Google as having "strategic market status".The companies have a month to make their cases to the CMA before the decision is finalised.If it is finalised, the companies may have to make changes to their services in a way that the regulator says promotes competition and gives more choice to consumers.The CMA is focusing on the companies' app stores, including how prominent Apple and Google's own apps are compared with rival apps.CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said the proposals "would enable UK app developers to remain at the forefront of global innovation while ensuring UK consumers receive a world-class experience".
What do Apple and Google say?
"We're concerned the rules the UK is now considering would undermine the privacy and security protections that our users have come to expect, hamper our ability to innovate, and force us to give away our technology for free to foreign competitors," an Apple spokesperson said."We will continue to engage with the regulator to make sure they fully understand these risks."Google's Senior Director of Competition Oliver Bethell said it was "crucial that any new regulation is evidence-based, proportionate and does not become a roadblock to growth in the UK."He added the Android operating system, Chrome browser and Play app store "enable great choice, security and innovation for users"."We remain committed to constructive engagement with the CMA for the duration of this process," he added.Android and Blink, the engine which powers the Chrome browser, are open source, which means developers can use their underlying code for free.Google's view is this enables greater competition and allows for cheaper products to be made.Consumer rights group Which? welcomed the probe from the regulator."While these companies have driven innovation, their dominance is now causing real harm to consumers and to the businesses that depend on them," said Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy.
Worldwide regulation
Apple and Google, along with other tech giants, are subject to a number of competition and regulation investigations in the UK, EU and US, under new laws introduced recently in each region.Apple has been subject to competition restrictions in the EU, and last month hit back against a €500m fine by the European Commission.The EU's enforcement arm accused it of breaching the law by restricting the ability of app developers to promote alternative marketplaces to App Store users.The company is fighting similar allegations concerning payment options in its App Store in the US.Last month, the CMA announced in a separate investigation Google holds strategic market status in search and advertising.CMA boss Sarah Cardell said while there were "tremendous benefits" to Google search - which accounts for more than 90% of UK searches - its probe suggested there may be ways to make the sector more open and competitive.The watchdog said it was not accusing Google of anti-competitive practices but would set out a "roadmap" of changes it could make to its business ahead of a final decision in October.
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Reuters
17 minutes ago
- Reuters
EU's $250 billion-per-year spending on US energy is unrealistic
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Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump warns against second independence vote for 75 years
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'I am making the point that, having established that precedent, we must be in a position to be able to give the people of Scotland the choice about their constitutional future. 'There is now, by the time we get to 2030, going to be a million people who were not eligible to vote in the last referendum in 2014. 'A generation has now passed and I want to make sure that people in Scotland who want our country to have a choice about independence are able to do so in a democratic and legitimate fashion that can enable the establishment of an independent country as a consequence of a Yes vote. 'And the way to do that is the way we did it in 2011, which is to elect a majority of SNP MSPs to the Scottish Parliament.' In the 2014 vote, 55 per cent of Scots voted No and 45 per cent Yes. Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: 'It's patently absurd - and John Swinney knows it - to claim that 11 years constitutes 'a generation'. 'John Swinney is like a broken record. In a bid to silence internal critics of his weak leadership, he has thrown diehard nationalists some more red meat on the one issue they all agree on: independence. 'Ordinary Scots are sick and tired of the SNP's obsession with breaking up the UK. The public want John Swinney to focus on fixing the damage his government has done in decimating essential services such as schools and the NHS at the same time as making Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK.' Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: 'This SNP government has lost its way and ran out of ideas - while one in six Scots suffer on an NHS waiting list.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Trump and Starmer trade compliments but defend differences
EDINBURGH/TURNBERRY, Scotland, July 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump spoke warmly about the "special relationship" with Britain on Monday, lavishing praise on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, King Charles, and his own mother's Scottish homeland from the ballroom of his Turnberry golf club. But mixed in with the compliments were warnings for Starmer on energy policy, immigration, and tax, as well as a pointed attack on London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Starmer's political ally. Seated side-by-side, Starmer and Trump fielded more than an hour of questions from media in a whirlwind tour of global affairs that included setting a new deadline for Russia to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine and announcing food centres to ease starvation in Gaza. When it came to the Anglo-American relationship, Trump's often outspoken - and sometimes confrontational approach - to such media appearances was replaced with a charm offensive. "The prime minister, he's been so supportive of us and so strong and so respected, and I respect him much more today than I did before, because I just met his wife and family. He's got a perfect wife, and that's never easy to achieve," Trump said. Starmer, who spoke for only a small fraction of the 72 minutes the two spent in the gaze of the world's media, reciprocated the compliments freely in what was the latest chapter of a burgeoning friendship between the two leaders, who hail from opposing sides of the political spectrum. "It's fantastic to be here - thank you for your hospitality - and to see this amazing golf course. I'll invite you to a football ground at some stage, and we can exchange sports," Starmer joked. However, the British leader jumped in when Trump - who argued publicly with London mayor Khan during his first term as president - said Khan was doing a bad job running the British capital and called him a "nasty person". "He's a friend of mine, I should add," Starmer interjected, before Trump continued: "I think he's done a terrible job." Starmer listened to Trump talk about cutting immigration - an area in which the British leader is seen by the public as failing. Trump said that policy was key to his 2024 U.S. election win, alongside his promises to reduce taxes and boost the economy. Starmer's government, only a year after winning a landslide victory, is facing a fiscal crunch caused by a stagnant economy, and many analysts expect tax increases later this year to plug the gap. On energy, the two talked up the potential of small nuclear reactors, but set out opposing positions on other sources of power. Trump gently urged Starmer to make more of Britain's oil and gas resources and renewed criticism of the offshore wind turbines that dot the coast near his golf course, and which form a key part of Starmer's plans for a carbon-free energy system. "Wind is a disaster," Trump said. "It's a very expensive energy, it's a very ugly energy and we won't allow it in the United States." Starmer replied: "We believe in a mix." Smoothing over their differences on policy, the two looked ahead to Trump's next visit in September when he will be hosted by King Charles for a state visit. "I hate to say it, but nobody does it like you people in terms of the pomp and ceremony," Trump said. "I'm a big fan of King Charles. I've known him for quite a while. Great guy, great person." After accepting an invitation presented to him during Starmer's visit to the White House in February, Trump will become the first world leader in modern times to undertake two state visits to Britain. "This is going to be a historic occasion, and we're all very much looking forward to it," Starmer said. In May, Washington and London announced the first bilateral trade deal made in the wake of steep new tariffs on global imports imposed by Trump. Trump's visit concludes on Tuesday, when he will open a new golf course near Aberdeen named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the United States.
