Latest news with #mobileecosystems
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
UK regulator seeks special status for Apple and Google that could mandate changes for Big Tech
LONDON (AP) — Britain's antitrust watchdog has proposed labeling Google's and Apple's mobile ecosystems with 'strategic market status,' which would mandate changes at the Big Tech companies to improve competition. The Competition and Markets Authority's announcement Wednesday follows separate investigations it opened at the start of the year into Google's Android and Apple's iOS, using newly acquired digital market regulations designed to protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices by Big Tech companies. The watchdog said Apple and Google hold an 'effective duopoly,' with 90-100% of mobile devices in Britain running on either mobile platform. Its investigation found a range of concerns affecting businesses and consumers such as unpredictable app reviews, inconsistent app store search rankings and commissions on in-app purchases of as much as 30%. The CMA also unveiled separate 'roadmaps' for each company outlining possible measures to improve competition, including a 'fair and transparent' app reviews and app store rankings to give British app developers 'certainty.' Google called the watchdog's decision 'disappointing and unwarranted,' and said Android has saved app developers money because they didn't have to adapt to different operating models for each smartphone. It's 'crucial that any new regulation is evidence-based, proportionate and does not become a roadblock to growth in the U.K.,' the company's senior director of competition, Oliver Bethell, said. Apple did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press for comment early Wednesday. The regulator is seeking feedback on its proposal and has until Oct. 22 to make a final decision.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
U.K. Competition Watchdog Signals New Rules for Apple, Google's Mobile Platforms
The U.K.'s competition watchdog said it is proposing to impose guardrails around how tech giants Apple and Alphabet's Google run their mobile ecosystems under a new law governing business conduct for Big Tech. This is the next step for the Competition and Markets Authority as it comes to grips with wielding its new powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act. In January, the regulator opened investigations into Apple and Google's dominance in smartphone ecosystems—which includes their smartphone operating systems, app stores and web browsers—to determine whether the companies have what the law calls 'strategic market status' and need to obey new rules designed to make it easier for rivals that rely on their services to reach customers. Morgan Stanley's Screening of Wealth-Management Clients Draws More Scrutiny Why Are Stocks Up? Nobody Knows Kohl's and Opendoor Headline a New Class of Meme Stocks Hershey Lifts Candy Prices, Citing High Cocoa Costs Musk Allies to Raise Up to $12 Billion for xAI Chips as Startup Burns Through Cash The CMA said Wednesday that both Apple and Google hold an effective duopoly within the mobile platform economy, and that conduct requirements for the companies could focus on things like allowing app developers to steer users to better deals outside of the companies' own app stores, and giving users 'a genuine choice over the services they use on their devices.' 'Apple and Google's mobile platforms are both critical to the U.K. economy—playing an important role in all our lives, from banking and shopping to entertainment and education,' Sarah Cardell, the CMA's chief executive, said in a statement. 'But our investigation so far has identified opportunities for more innovation and choice,' she said. Google's senior director of competition, Oliver Bethell, said in a blog post Wednesday that the announcement was 'disappointing and unwarranted.' 'Android is open source and Chrome is built on our browser engine Blink, which is also open source. Together with Play, these offerings enable great choice, security and innovation for users,' he said. Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Write to Edith Hancock at Capital One Swings to Loss After Discover Financial Acquisition Silicon Valley's Favorite Podcast Is Now Hot in Washington Too Trump Expects $20 Million More in Ad Dollars From '60 Minutes' Settlement GM Profit Shrinks After $1.1 Billion Tariff Hit At the Fed's Banking Conference, Sam Altman, Capital Rules and Avoiding the Powell Drama
Wall Street Journal
6 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
U.K. Competition Watchdog Signals New Rules for Apple, Google's Mobile Platforms
The U.K.'s competition watchdog said it is proposing to impose guardrails around how tech giants Apple AAPL 0.90%increase; green up pointing triangle and Alphabet's GOOGL 0.65%increase; green up pointing triangle Google run their mobile ecosystems under a new law governing business conduct for Big Tech. This is the next step for the Competition and Markets Authority as it gets to grips with wielding its new powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act. In January, the regulator opened investigations into Apple and Google's dominance in smartphone ecosystems—which includes their smartphone operating systems, app stores and web browsers—to determine whether the companies have what the law calls 'strategic market status' and need to obey new rules designed to make it easier for rivals that rely on their services to reach customers.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple and Google face more UK antitrust scrutiny over mobile ecosystems
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's competition regulator said it plans to designate Apple and Google with so-called strategic market status for their role in mobile ecosystems, as it steps up scrutiny of what it has described as their duopoly. The plans announced on Wednesday follows findings by an inquiry group at Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that a number of markets relating to mobile internet browsers were not working well for consumers or businesses. Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome dominate the mobile browser market on iPhones and Android devices, respectively. A strategic market status (SMS) designation allows the CMA to impose interventions on a firm, such as requiring it to adhere to specific behaviour so as not to undermine fair competition. In Apple and Google's cases, they could be forced to offer more features and give users the option actively to choose their preferred mobile browser, if recommendations from the CMA's inquiry group are accepted. Both Apple and Google pushed back against the CMA's proposals, with Google calling the step "disappointing and unwarranted." "It is ... crucial that any new regulation is evidence-based, proportionate and does not become a roadblock to growth in the UK," Google's senior director for competition, Oliver Bethell, said. Apple said separately it was concerned that the new rules being considered would undermine the privacy and security protections expected by its users. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Apple and Google face more UK antitrust scrutiny over mobile ecosystems
LONDON, July 23 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator said it plans to designate Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab and Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab with so-called strategic market status for their role in mobile ecosystems, as it steps up scrutiny of what it has described as their duopoly. The plans announced on Wednesday follows findings by an inquiry group at Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that a number of markets relating to mobile internet browsers were not working well for consumers or businesses. Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome dominate the mobile browser market on iPhones and Android devices, respectively. A strategic market status (SMS) designation allows the CMA to impose interventions on a firm, such as requiring it to adhere to specific behaviour so as not to undermine fair competition. In Apple and Google's cases, they could be forced to offer more features and give users the option actively to choose their preferred mobile browser, if recommendations from the CMA's inquiry group are accepted. Both Apple and Google pushed back against the CMA's proposals, with Google calling the step "disappointing and unwarranted." "It is ... crucial that any new regulation is evidence-based, proportionate and does not become a roadblock to growth in the UK," Google's senior director for competition, Oliver Bethell, said. Apple said separately it was concerned that the new rules being considered would undermine the privacy and security protections expected by its users.
