UK competition probe of mobile browsers finds Apple-Google duopoly is ‘anti-innovation’

A UK competition authorities in the UK’s competition authorities have concluded that mobile duply principles “support innovation” and can limit economic growth.

“Mobile browsers are applications that provide customers to the web to access the web on their mobile device, and therefore to reach them with their contents and products for business. The topics we identified mean that customers may lose new features when using mobile browsers; And businesses are limited to reaching customers through browser applications, “Run the summary of the 611-Test Final decision Published on Wednesday.

Most concerns are “related to Apple’s principles that mobile browsers, how do we access the web on mobiles, work on Apple’s devices” related to Press releaseThe

These include issues such as Apple’s webkit browser engine use for other browsers of iOS, which provides enhanced features that limits Apple’s own safari browser vs ability to separate vs; The main platform features vs. rival browsers have more or previous access to safari, which investigating groups believe that competition (including privacy features), and the development of PWS (Progressive Web apps) in iOS; In-browsing constraints that click on the web links out of those who keep the app’s applications of rival browsers serving users; And issue of specific preference architecture.

When Google comes, the investigating group’s anxiety center is about the arrangement of sharing revenue between Mountain View and Apple, through which Google provides Apple a significant portion of the earnings earned from IOS traffic in Safari and Chrome.

“We have found that Apple and Google are used in the iOS for the web search for Google when their main rival’s mobile browser is used significantly in the competition,” they noticed that the amount of revenue sharing is significantly restricted to significantly restricting financial enthusiasm as “so large”.

However still no enforcement

In spite of this negative search valee – and despite the concerns of the UK competition, the grip of Apple and Google depends on dating many years ago at the moment – there is still no competition to apply; The report is advised to wait for kicking special abuse control capabilities.

These are the energy that two technology giants active investigations (if unlocked (if unlockedOpen in January) Confirm that they fall into the incredible forces of the beef powered by the competition and the market authority (CMA) A big reform of competition law aimed at digital giants Came effectively In JanuaryThe So the remedies of the identified opposition problems are in the air.

The report suggested trying to remedy the competition anxiety using the power of the Standard Market investigation – as it was said that “there is a significant risk for the effectiveness of these measures.”

Cloud Gaming, which also formed part of the market investigation, was excluded from the investigation some later in November Change by Apple The regulatory that thinks the competition can eliminate anxiety.

Report of Independent Investigation Group, which was set up by CMA when it started a market investigation on Mobile on Apple and Google Mobile November 2022Following similar initial decisions EndThe However, the investigating group has now said that it is no longer concerned about the screen of certain preferred screen.

This is an update in Apple in December that iOS users can change the changes on how their default browser has solved the anxiety on that platform. The Google investigating group provided “Chrome to encourage them to set Chrome as their default browser in Android” providing new evidence to the use of prompts “that also resolved its anxiety.

At the same time, the investigating group still issued some other screen architecture designs that they said that it could make Apple’s Safari and Google’s Chrome Native Brows vs alternate mobile browsers to make users more difficult for users.

Future remedy?

The final report suggests various potential remedy (or “appropriate interventions” as their condition) for the anxiety of mobile browser competition, which has to be fully set Appendix dThe

The proposed remedies include allowing Apple to use alternative browser engines and the need for an inter -usefulness that will ban the equivalent access to iOS features for rivals browsers, as well as the ban on Chrome’s revenue shares.

In addition, how Google shows the favorite screens of the browser can be controlled under this method with the frequency of default browser pop-ups.

Although none of the proposed remedies is being taken forward as part of this CMA market investigation, they can offer a steer on how the regulator can finally apply it to Apple and Google’s mobile dupoli.

It is assumed that the digital market unit investigations determine that they have the so -called strategic market status (SMS), which means that they will be under special torture control system and may be subject to this national bispok intervention. SMS investigations in Apple and Google are expected to end this year later.

Commenting in a statement, CMA’s Independent Investigation Group Chairman Margot Deli wrote:

“Under the new CMA’s new capacity in our report and the new CMA we have considered considerations by CMA, the range of potential interference considered to solve the market problems, which are designed for the digital market, especially for the digital market. So, I welcome CMA’s prompt action to open strategic market status in both Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystem. The broad analysis we have today will help you to do that. “

The final report of Apple and Google Investigation Group was contacted for comments.

Here Apple’s statement:

“Apple believes in prosperity and dynamic markets where innovation can develop. Every section and jurisdiction where we manage are facing competition and our focus is always trusting our users. We have concerns with this report and believe that the remedies that discussed it will reduce privacy, protection and overall user experience. We will be constructively involved with the CMA to optimize their anxiety. ”