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U.K. assigns ‘strategic market status’ to Apple and Google, paving the way for increased regulatory oversight

U.K. assigns ‘strategic market status’ to Apple and Google, paving the way for increased regulatory oversight

Bitget-RWA2025/10/22 15:33
By:Bitget-RWA

On Wednesday, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it is granting Apple and Google strategic market status for their respective mobile ecosystems. This move, which covers their operating systems, app stores, browsers, and browser engines, gives the regulator the authority to implement specific measures to foster greater competition in the sector.

The CMA began its inquiries into Apple and Google in January, and in July suggested possible actions that could result in the companies being assigned strategic market status (SMS). To make its determination, the CMA engaged with over 150 stakeholders and held discussions with both companies. The regulator ultimately concluded that Apple and Google possess “significant, entrenched market power and hold a strategically important position within their respective mobile platforms.”

The CMA also found that once U.K. consumers choose either Apple or Google’s mobile ecosystem, they are unlikely to switch to the other. The report highlighted that both companies require businesses to use their app stores to distribute apps to users.

Importantly, the CMA noted that emerging technologies such as AI are “not expected to diminish Apple or Google’s market dominance during the five-year period of designation.”

“Apple and Google’s mobile platforms are essential tools for thousands of businesses across the economy to promote and sell their products and services to millions of people, but the rules set by these platforms could be restricting competition and stifling innovation,” Will Hayter, the CMA’s executive director for digital markets, commented in a statement.

The CMA clarified that assigning SMS to these platforms does not imply any misconduct. Rather, it enables the authority to consider “measured, targeted steps to guarantee that mobile platforms remain open to genuine competition, and that both consumers and businesses relying on Google and Apple can trust they are being treated justly,” according to the announcement.

Both Apple and Google have objected to the ruling. Apple cautioned that the decision could result in U.K. users experiencing delays in receiving new features—an issue already seen with Apple Intelligence. Google, for its part, stated that it did not agree with the reasoning behind the decision.

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Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.

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