By Kelvin Chan
LONDON (AP) – UK anti-trust watchdog has proposed labeling Google and Apple’s mobile ecosystem “strategic market conditions.”
Wednesday’s Competitive and Markets Bureau announcement follows a separate investigation that opened on Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS, using newly acquired digital market regulations designed to protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices by major technology companies.
According to WatchDog, Apple and Google have “effective replicas,” with 90-100% of UK mobile devices running on either mobile platform. The study discovered a variety of concerns affecting businesses and consumers, including unpredictable app reviews, inconsistent app store search rankings, and commissions on in-app purchases of up to 30%.
The CMA has also released a separate “roadmap” for each company that outlines possible measures to improve competition, such as “fair and transparent” app reviews and app store rankings, to provide “certainty” to UK app developers.
Watchdog encourages app developers to “steer” users, allowing users to “steer” into channels outside the app store that users can purchase, reflecting similar efforts by the European Union.
Google called WatchDog’s decision “unfortunate and unfair,” saying that Android saved app developers money because it didn’t have to adapt to different operating models for each smartphone.
“The new regulations are evidence-based, proportional and not impede a hindrance to UK growth,” said Oliver Bethel, the company’s senior director of competition.
Apple said it was worried that the CMA movement could raise the risk to users and put the UK’s “developer economy” at risk.
“We are concerned that the rules currently being considered by the UK will undermine the privacy and security protections users expect. “We will continue to engage with regulators to ensure we fully understand these risks.”
Regulators are seeking feedback on the proposal and will need to make a final decision until October 22nd.
Original issue: July 23, 2025, 12:35pm EDT
