The British market regulator Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will further investigate the strong dominant position of the tech companies Apple and Google in mobile phone operating systems and app stores.
According to the CMA, consumers can be disadvantaged by this dominant position in various areas.
The competition watchdog is examining the iOS operating system from Apple and Android from Google and the App Store and Play Store and the web browsers Safari and Chrome.
It looks at whether the two companies’ control over these so-called “mobile ecosystems” undermines competition. The CMA is concerned that, for example, innovation will be reduced, and consumers will have to pay more for mobile devices, apps and other services.
The study, lasting up to 12 months, will also look at Apple’s and Google’s market power over app developers, the CMA said. There are also other separate investigations by the cartel watchdog against the two American companies.
“Our work on big tech has already uncovered some worrying trends, and we know consumers and businesses could be harmed if left unchecked,” said CMA Director Andrea Coscelli.