Apple, Google hit with UK scrutiny as regulator pushes for mobile changes
On September 20, 2024, a series of iPhone 16 in the Apple Store at Tun Razak Exchange in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Annice Lyn | Getty Images News | Getty Images
UK’s competition organizers targeted mobile ecosystems on Wednesday Apple And Google is forcing two companies to make changes in areas such as application stores.
On Wednesday, the Competition and Markets Authority proposed to identify US technology giants as “strategic market status” or SMS after opening an investigation on the subject in January.
This appointment was given to a large company with “important and established market power” and “strategic importance” according to the digital activity in the UK.
CMA may force branded companies to change or stop specific behaviors or applications by having SMS to relieve competition concerns.
Apple and Google had problems with CMA’s suggestions and said user security and generally bad for consumers.
What is CMA about?
Britain’s organizer Apple and Google’s mobile operating systems focused on researching the App Store and the browser. One aspect of the investigation looked at whether other competitors are obstacles to prevent US technology giants from offering competitors on mobile platforms.
Another part of the probe examined whether Apple and Google use their position in operating systems, application distribution or scanners to support their applications and services.
And the latest aspect of the research, Apple and Google’s applications of developers through the relevant application stores to distribute “unfair provisions and conditions” to register whether they wanted to register.
On Wednesday, CMA said that consumers and businesses expressed their concerns about different issues in the mobile ecosystem of the two companies. However, some of them include “inconsistent and unpredictable application review processes” and “inconsistent application stores search rankings”, which may prefer technology giants’ own practices.
The British regulator also targeted up to 30% commission collected by companies for some in -app purchases and restrictions for developers who describe cheaper ways for subscribing to subscribers outside the app purchases and applications.
CMA, Google and Apple’s application stores as part of the review process, developers expressed concerns that technology companies can access commercially sensitive data of their competitors.
According to the weighing data, Google’s Android operating system commands the market share of 61% in the UK, while Apple’s iOS is slightly above 38%. Google runs the Google Play Store and Chrome browser and Apple has the App Store and Safari browser.
Apple and Google React
Apple said in a statement, the proposals from the United Kingdom “will undermine the privacy and safety guards expected by our users, will prevent our ability to innovate and forced us to give us to foreign opponents free of charge,” he said.
“We will continue to interact with the regulator to ensure that they fully understand these risks.”
Google’s Senior Competition Director Oliver Bethell said that both Google Chrome browser and Android’s operating system were built on the open source code.
“These offers provide perfect choice, security and innovation for users. So today’s announcement is both disappointing and unfair.” He said.
Google manager stressed Android ways to help British developers and economy.
Bethell, “Therefore, it is very important that any new regulation is evidence -based, proportional and does not prevent growth in the United Kingdom.
US Technology Giants face European review
Apple and Google’s regulatory problems on the European continent continue to deepen.
In April, European Union Editorials To violate the Digital Markets Law (DMA), hit Apple with a fine of 500 million euros ($ 587 million) – a turning point that aims to combat technology competition problems.
Apple had to make a series of changes in the EU this year. These are cheaper alternatives for developers to users and allow Apple to skip the in -app payment system.
However, some changes have not yet satisfied EU organizers. In June, Apple set up a complex App Store fees system to comply with DMA and avoid a fine of 500 million euros. Apple plans to object to the fine.
Apple has long argued that changes in compulsory regulatory leadership in operations may cause privacy and safety problems for users and confuse business terms for developers.
In March, the Google Parental alphabet was accused by the EU not to comply with DMA. European Commission, EU’s executive branch, in question Google is more positive for its own search services than competitors. The Commission added that Google prevents the App Store from directing developers to other channels for better offers.
The search giant wants to fight with a fine of 4.1 billion euros caused by an antitröst cases extending to 2018.
