Britain's top antitrust regulator said Friday that an independent investigation has preliminary found that Apple and Google's mobile browser policies are hindering innovation.
The report recommended that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launch an investigation into the two tech giants under the UK's Digital Regulations, which begin next year.
“The independent research group appointed to conduct this market investigation is
Many markets related to browsers on mobile devices are found to be non-functional
This means consumers may be missing out on new features when using mobile browsers. And companies' ability to reach consumers through browser apps is limited. ”
The CMA's findings come days after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) asked a federal judge to order Google to sell its Chrome browser.
The CMA's report focused primarily on Apple, saying the company is restricting progressive web apps that are low cost, do not require downloading from an app store, and do not incur app store fees. In doing so, Apple is preventing users from accessing certain new features, the watchdog group said.
The watchdog group said it was concerned about the revenue-sharing agreement between Google and Apple, as the two tech giants “earn significant revenue from using their major rival's mobile browser on iOS.” , said the economic incentive to compete is declining.
It also took issue with Apple and Google's product design choices, arguing that the technology companies make it difficult for users to choose alternative browsers that are not the default option.
In the United States, the Justice Department argued that Google's ownership and control of Chrome, similar to Android, would undermine efforts to open up the online search market and prevent future monopolies. In August, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google illegally maintains a monopoly over online search, in one of the largest antitrust decisions in decades. .
Kent Walker, Google's chief legal officer and president of international affairs, called the Justice Department's recommended remedies a “remarkable proposal.”
“The Department of Justice had an opportunity to propose remedies related to the issues in this case: Search distribution agreements with Apple, Mozilla, and smartphones. [original equipment manufacturers]and wireless carriers,” Walker wrote in a blog post.
“Instead, the Department of Justice has chosen to pursue radical interventionist policies that harm the American people and America's global technology leadership,” he added. “The Justice Department's very broad proposal goes far beyond the court's decision. It would destroy many Google products, beyond search, that people love and find useful in their daily lives. It will be.”
Google is facing a second antitrust trial over its dominance in advertising technology, which is scheduled to conclude with closing arguments on Monday. The Justice Department also sued Apple earlier this year, accusing the iPhone maker of monopolizing the smartphone market.
The move is the latest by British regulators to crack down on safety and competition concerns about social media platforms. The CMA is required to publish its final report in March next year.
The Hill has reached out to Apple and Google for comment.
