When the EU introduced new measures forcing Apple to open up its iPhone software, it always seemed overwhelmingly likely that other countries would be watching closely. Now, it looks like the U.K. could be minded to introduce changes.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority published a report on Friday, Nov. 22, giving its provisional findings in its mobile browsers and Cloud Gaming market investigation.
While it says no further action should be taken on cloud gaming, it, “provisionally recommends that the CMA board consider investigating Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystem activities using new digital markets powers.”
That phrase digital markets may sound familiar: the EU legislation is called the Digital Markets Act. The provisional findings also say that it proposes no further action be taken on cloud gaming, saying primary concerns have been addressed.
The investigation “has provisionally found that Apple’s rules restrict other competitors from being able to deliver new, innovative features that could benefit consumers. Other browser providers have highlighted concerns that they have been unable to offer a full range of browser features, such as faster webpage loading on iPhone.”
As Ben Lovejoy at 9to5Mac comments, “This is likely to see Apple forced to take the same action it already did in the EU – allowing users to choose their default web browser when first setting up a new iPhone.”
As Florian Mueller pointed out on X, “The @CMAgovUK has a point in the sense that competition between multiple iOS browsers isn’t true and effective competition when all are forced by the dictator (Apple) to use the suboptimal WebKit engine like Safari. Chrome on iOS is not Chrome—it’s Safari styled as Chrome.”
The provisional decision could mean that the same requirement found on iPhones in the EU for users to be able to choose their browser at set-up could come to the U.K. And after that, who knows where?