Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
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Title: UK watchdog says AppleΓÇÖs rules restrict iOS browser competition

Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2024 20:11:07 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/uk-watchdog...

The UKΓÇÖs Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ΓÇ£provisionally
concludedΓÇ¥ that AppleΓÇÖs restrictive mobile browser policies limit
innovation. After an independent inquiry group shared its findings on browser
competition on iOS and Android, the governing bodyΓÇÖs board plans to conduct
an in-depth assessment of how Apple and Google constrict third-party browsers
on their platforms. However, Apple ΓÇö with its more closed ecosystem ΓÇö
appears to have borne the brunt of the CMAΓÇÖs concern.

The CMAΓÇÖs investigation is based on the premise that Apple and Google have
an effective duopoly on mobile platforms, allowing them to set the rules of
how mobile browsers work. The board says third-party browser developers have
complained that theyΓÇÖre constricted by rules like AppleΓÇÖs requirement to
use the companyΓÇÖs WebKit browser engine.

ΓÇ£The group has provisionally found that AppleΓÇÖs rules restrict other
competitors from being able to deliver new, innovative features that could
benefit consumers,ΓÇ¥ the CMA wrote. ΓÇ£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.ΓÇ¥

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC), which passed
earlier this year, will give the UK body extra ammunition to carry out its
next steps. The UKΓÇÖs equivalent of the EUΓÇÖs Digital Markets Act (DMA) can
designate big tech companies as having ΓÇ£Strategic Market StatusΓÇ¥ with
ΓÇ£substantial and entrenched market powerΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£a position of strategic
significance.ΓÇ¥

Much like the EUΓÇÖs version, the law gives the UK some teeth to negotiate
and force concessions from Big Tech behemoths that, at least in the US, often
seem untouchable: The DMCC will empower the UK board to fine infringing
companies up to 10 percent of their global revenue.

The CMAΓÇÖs summary of AppleΓÇÖs hearing reveals the iPhone maker argued that
it restricts browser engines to ΓÇ£ensure users get the best security,
privacy, and performance on iOS devicesΓÇ¥ ΓÇö a familiar argument to those
whoΓÇÖve followed AppleΓÇÖs previous competition trials. Apple claimed
healthy competition exists, due to the presence of third-party browsers with
features like ad-blocking, VPNs and AI. The company also said it routinely
considers developer feedback and hadnΓÇÖt heard any fuss over its current
browser rules.

Contradicting that, the CMA said other browser providers have highlighted
features they canΓÇÖt implement on iOS, like faster webpage loading. ΓÇ£Many
smaller UK app developers also told us that they would like to use
progressive web apps ΓÇö an alternative way for businesses to provide apps to
mobile users without downloading apps through an app store ΓÇö but this
technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices,ΓÇ¥ the board wrote.

The CMA also said that how browser choices are presented to users lets Apple
and Google ΓÇ£manipulate these choices to make their own browsers the
clearest or easiest option.ΓÇ¥ In addition, it pointed out a revenue-sharing
agreement between the two companies that ΓÇ£significantly reduces their
financial incentives to compete in mobile browsers on iOS.ΓÇ¥

The boardΓÇÖs next step is a period of open comments on its findings, which
will end on December 13. After its investigation, the CMA expects to make its
final ruling in March 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-
tech/uk-watchdog-says-apples-rules-restrict-ios-browser-competition-
201106359.html?src=rss

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