UK Regulator Opens Cloud Gaming, Browsers Investigation After Report Claiming Apple, Alphabet Duopoly -- Update
November 23 2022 - 01:44AM
Dow Jones News
By Kyle Morris
The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority said Tuesday that
it has launched an investigation into cloud gaming and mobile
browsers after an earlier report showed Apple Inc. and Alphabet
Inc. have an effective duopoly on mobile ecosystems.
The regulator launched a market investigation alongside its
Mobile Ecosystem Market Study report, which found Apple and Google
have an effective duopoly on mobile ecosystems that allows them to
exercise a stranglehold on operating systems, app stores and web
browsers on mobile devices.
The CMA said that 97% of all mobile web browsing in the U.K. in
2021 happened on browsers powered by either Apple or Google.
U.K.-based developers say current restrictions stifle innovation,
the regulator said. The U.K. has more than 800,000 cloud gaming
services users, but restrictions could hamper sector growth, it
added.
A consultation found 86% of respondents support taking a closer
look at concerns which relate to the way that Apple and Google
dominate the market and how Apple restricts cloud gaming through
its App Store. Browser vendors, web developers, and cloud gaming
service providers say the status quo is harming their businesses,
holding back innovation, and adding unnecessary costs.
Web developers have complained that Apple's restrictions,
combined with underinvestment, lead to added costs and technical
issues, the CMA said.
"We will continue to engage constructively with the Competition
and Markets Authority to explain how our approach promotes
competition and choice, while ensuring consumers' privacy and
security are always protected," an Apple spokesperson said.
Google wasn't immediately available for comment.
"We plan to investigate whether the concerns we have heard are
justified and, if so, identify steps to improve competition and
innovation in these sectors," the CMA's interim Chief Executive
Sarah Cardell said.
Write to Kyle Morris at kyle.morris@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 22, 2022 06:25 ET (11:25 GMT)
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