The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has “provisionally concluded” that Apple’s restrictive mobile browser policies are restricting innovation. After an independent investigative group shared its findings on the competition of browsers on iOS and Android, the regulatory board plans to conduct an in-depth examination of how Apple and Google bind third-party browsers to their platforms. However, Apple – with its highly closed ecosystem – appears to be bearing the brunt of the CMA’s concerns.
The CMA’s investigation is based on the premise that Apple and Google have a successful duopoly on mobile platforms, allowing them to dictate how mobile browsers work. The board says third-party browser developers have complained that they are being held back by regulations such as Apple’s requirement to use the company’s WebKit browser engine.
“The group temporarily discovered that Apple’s rules prevent other competitors from being able to deliver new, innovative features that would benefit consumers,” the CMA wrote. “Some browser providers have raised concerns that they have not been able to offer the full range of browser features, such as faster web page loading on the iPhone.”
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC), passed earlier this year, will give the UK body more ammunition to carry out its next steps. The UK equivalent of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) can designate large technology companies as having a “Strong Strategic Market Position” with “significant and concentrated market power” and a “position of strategic importance.”
Like the EU version, the law gives the UK teeth to negotiate and compel consent from Big Tech behemoths that, at least in the US, seem untouchable: The DMCC will give the UK board the power to fine infringing companies up to 10 percent of their revenue of the whole world.
The CMA’s summary of Apple’s hearing reveals that the iPhone maker said it restricts browser engines “to ensure that users get the best security, privacy, and performance on iOS devices” – a familiar argument to those who have followed Apple’s previous competition tests. Apple said healthy competition exists, thanks to the presence of third-party browsers with features such as ad blocking, VPNs and AI. The company also said it is considering developer feedback and has yet to hear any controversy over its current browser rules.
In contrast, the CMA said some browser providers have highlighted features they cannot implement on iOS, such as faster web page loading. “Many small UK app developers have also told us that they would like to use progressive web apps – another way for businesses to provide apps to mobile users without downloading apps via an app store – but this technology cannot fully take off on iOS. equipment,” the board wrote.
The CMA also said that how browser choices are presented to users allows Apple and Google to “manage these choices to make their browsers a clear or convenient choice.” In addition, it revealed a profit-sharing agreement between the two companies that “significantly reduces their financial incentives to compete in mobile browsers on iOS.”
The board’s next step is an open comment period on its findings, which will end on December 13. After its investigation, the CMA expects to make its final decision in March 2025.
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