Apple and Alphabet are once again in the cross hairs of regulators, after a report found the tech giants could “exercise a stranglehold” over the software used on mobile devices.
Britain’s antitrust watchdog, The Competition and Markets Authority, is opening a formal probe into the pair’s dominance over app stores, operating systems, and internet browsers across the smartphone landscape.
“Many UK businesses and web developers tell us they feel that they are being held back by restrictions set by Apple and Google,” Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s interim CEO said in a statement.
This investigation follows a 356-page report into competition for mobile operating systems and apps, which found the two companies exercised a duopoly in the smartphone software market.
Apple said it will “continue to engage constructively [with the CMA] to explain how our approach promotes competition and choice, while ensuring consumers’ privacy and security are always protected.”
Google said Android “gives people a greater choice of apps and app stores than any other mobile platform and enables developers to choose the browser engine they want, and has been the launchpad for millions of apps.”
