MADRID, 24 Nov. (Portaltic/EP) –
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into a possible duopoly of mobile browsers operated by Apple and Google.
This analysis is based on a publication made in June and in which a Mobile Ecosystem Market Study is carried out, in whose conclusions it is indicated that both have an absolute dominance of mobile ecosystems.
“They have an effective duopoly that allows them to exercise absolute mastery over operating systems, app stores and web browsers on mobile devices”, can be read in this document.
To justify this claim, the agency also mentions that, in 2021, 97 percent of mobile web browsing in the UK was done through the technology and engines used by Apple and Google.
That, taking into account that there are currently more than 800,000 users of gaming services in the cloud, would indicate that both manufacturers would be “damaging business, holding back innovation and adding unnecessary costs“.
On the other hand, the CMA comments that “potentially disruptive innovations are being held back by the restrictions imposed by Apple” and stresses that the devices it manufactures, as well as its application store and that of Google, the search advertising services of this another and the prices applied “are above a competitive rate.”
With this, the research body suggests that “there are also several areas within mobile ecosystems in which the user experience has been degraded as a result of low competition.”
Thus, he has brought up that he has received comments from Apple developers, who would have shown their concern about how the restriction of WebKit “limits the potential quality of all browsers and the availability of new features.
“We want to make sure UK consumers get the best new mobile data services and UK developers can invest in new innovative applications“, has commented the interim executive director of the CMA, Sarah Cardell, in statements collected by VGC.
