REG - Competition and Mkts - CMA: MBCG MI Final Decision Report

AppleAnnouncement

12/03/2025 14:15

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
https://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20250312:nRSL4082Aa&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 4082A  Competition and Markets Authority  12 March 2025

FINAL REPORT INTO MOBILE BROWSERS AND CLOUD GAMING PUBLISHED

 

Independent inquiry group finds that mobile browser markets are not working
well for UK businesses and millions of mobile device users which is holding
back innovation in the UK

 

The independent inquiry group leading the Competition and Markets Authority's
(CMA) mobile browsers and cloud gaming market investigation has published its
final report today. The report finds that a number of markets relating to
mobile browsers are not working well for consumers and businesses, which is
holding back innovation and could be limiting growth in the UK. Most concerns
identified relate to Apple's policies that determine how mobile browsers, the
way we access the web on mobiles, work on Apple's devices.

 

Having assessed the feedback to the provisional decision report, published in
November 2024, the inquiry group has confirmed its concerns in all but two
areas relating to mobile browsers. Those two areas concern specific aspects of
Apple and Google's choice architecture practices, which were resolved after
Apple released a software update in December making changes to how users can
switch their default browser, and Google provided new evidence relating to its
use of prompts to encourage users to set Chrome as their default browser on
Android.

 

The group has also maintained its conclusion in relation to cloud gaming that
no further action is necessary.

 

Since the inquiry group's provisional decision report, the CMA opened
investigations in January into whether to designate Apple and Google as having
strategic market status (SMS) under the new digital markets competition
regime. These investigations concern Apple and Google's provision of their
respective mobile ecosystem services, including in the areas related to mobile
browsers which were the focus of this separate market investigation. These SMS
investigations are currently ongoing and expected to conclude later this year.

 

The inquiry group has considered a number of potential interventions which
could address the competition concerns it has identified. The final report
recommends that, if Apple and/or Google are designated with SMS, then the CMA
should consider imposing appropriate interventions. These include measures
which could enhance the ability of other browsers to compete by offering new,
innovative features to consumers, as well as enabling users actively to choose
their preferred mobile browser which could drive competition.

 

Should the SMS investigations result in designations and appropriate
interventions, the recommended course of action would improve competitive
conditions in these markets, allowing a wider range of companies to invest,
innovate and grow, giving millions of consumers access to mobile browsers
which may be faster and more secure for use in their everyday lives.

 

Margot Daly, Chair of the CMA's independent inquiry group, said:

 

"Following our in-depth investigation, we have concluded that competition
between different mobile browsers is not working well, and this is holding
back innovation in the UK.

 

"The analysis set out in our report and the range of potential interventions
considered to address the market issues we have identified merits
consideration by the CMA under its new powers, which have been specifically
designed for digital markets. So, I welcome the CMA's prompt action to open
strategic market status investigations into both Apple and Google's mobile
ecosystems. The extensive analysis we've set out today will help that work as
it progresses.

 

"We have not found concerns in relation to the cloud gaming sector following
significant changes made by Apple over the course of our market investigation,
which look to have positive implications for competition in this market."

 

For more information, visit the Mobile Browsers and Cloud Gaming market
investigation case page
(https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/mobile-browsers-and-cloud-gaming) .

 

 Ends 

 

Notes to editors

 

1.   In November 2024, the inquiry group published its provisional decision
report. This set out a series of concerns in the relevant mobile browser
markets, which included how Apple's rules restrict other competitors from
being able to deliver new, innovative features that could benefit users.

2.   The CMA opened its investigation following its Mobile Ecosystems
Market Study (https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/mobile-ecosystems-market-study)
 in 2021, which found that Apple and Google have an effective duopoly on
mobile ecosystems, including operating systems, app stores and web browsers on
mobile devices. This puts Apple and Google in a position to set the rules on
how mobile browsers can work on iOS and Android devices respectively.

3.   The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act
(https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/13/contents)  - which came into
force in January 2025 - grants new responsibilities to the CMA to promote
competition in digital markets through the new, forward-looking digital
markets competition regime.

4.   Under the new regime, the CMA can - if warranted - impose legally
binding conduct requirements (CRs) or pro-competition interventions (PCIs) on
firms in relation to the digital activity for which they have been designated.

5.   The CMA launched
(https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-to-investigate-apple-and-googles-mobile-ecosystems)
SMS investigations into Apple
(https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/sms-investigation-into-apples-mobile-ecosystem)
's and Google
(https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/sms-investigation-into-googles-mobile-ecosystem)
's Mobile Ecosystems in January 2025.

6.   Other competition agencies considering mobile browsers include
the European Commission
(https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/gatekeepers_en)  and the United
States Department of Justice
(https://www.justice.gov/atr/case/us-and-plaintiff-states-v-google-llc) .

7.   For media enquiries, contact the CMA press office on 020 3738 6460
or press@cma.gov.uk (mailto:press@cma.gov.uk) .

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com)
 or visit
www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/)
.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our
Privacy Policy (https://www.lseg.com/privacy-and-cookie-policy)
.   END  STCFLFFFVRIFLIE