The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched simultaneous investigations into Apple and Google to evaluate their influence over the UK’s mobile ecosystems. The inquiries will focus on operating systems, app stores, and browsers to determine whether the companies hold strategic market status (SMS) and if their practices impact competition, innovation, and consumer choice.
The CMA’s investigations will assess Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, which together dominate the UK’s mobile market. These operating systems are pre-installed on nearly all smartphones and tablets sold in the country, providing Apple and Google with significant control over their respective ecosystems. This includes their app stores and browsers, which serve as gateways for businesses and consumers to access digital services.
The CMA is examining whether this dominance creates barriers for competitors or restricts consumer options. It will also evaluate whether the companies’ practices hinder businesses from developing apps, connected devices, or other technologies that rely on mobile ecosystems.
The UK app development sector includes around 15,000 businesses, contributing £28bn in annual revenue. Many businesses depend on fair access to mobile ecosystems to deliver their products and services. The CMA’s investigations aim to determine whether Apple and Google’s practices support or hinder such business opportunities.
“The operating systems, apps and browsers installed on our phones and tablet devices act as our gateway into the digital world – whether that is communicating with our friends and loved ones, buying from businesses or accessing creative content,” said the CMA’s chief executive, Sarah Cardell. “More competitive mobile ecosystems could foster new innovations and new opportunities across a range of services that millions of people use, be they app stores, browsers or operating systems. Better competition could also boost growth here in the UK, with businesses able to offer new and innovative types of products and services on Apple’s and Google’s platforms.”
The investigations will examine several areas of concern. The CMA will assess the level of competition between Apple’s and Google’s ecosystems and identify whether barriers exist that prevent rival products or services from entering the market.
Another focus is on whether Apple and Google use their positions to favour their own apps and services, which are often pre-installed on devices. The CMA will also review whether the terms and conditions imposed on app developers are fair and whether users face limitations in choosing alternative apps or services.
The inquiries will further consider how practices, such as requiring in-app payments to be processed through the companies’ platforms, affect app developers and end users.
Potential regulatory actions
If the CMA finds that Apple or Google holds SMS, it could impose conduct requirements or recommend interventions to promote competition. This may include allowing third-party apps greater access to essential functionality or enabling alternative payment systems outside of the companies’ app stores.
These measures would aim to create an environment where businesses can innovate without restrictions and consumers have access to a wider range of choices.
The investigations are part of the CMA’s broader regulatory efforts under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which became law in May 2024. The act allows the CMA to designate firms with SMS if they have substantial market power and meet specific turnover thresholds.
The public has been invited by the regulator to comment on the investigations until 12 February 2025. The CMA expects to conclude its inquiries by 22 October 2025.
The CMA’s current investigations build on issues raised in 2022, when it described Apple and Google as holding a “duopoly” over mobile browsers and noted their control over operating systems, app stores, and browsers. The competition watchdog raised concerns about the impact of this control on web app developers, who rely on browsers to bypass app store restrictions, avoid commission fees, and offer services such as cloud gaming platforms. It warned that Apple and Google could block these services from functioning in their browsers, leaving developers without recourse.
Read more: Apple and Google have a ‘duopoly’ over mobile browsers – CMA
