Apple and Google under investigation for mobile ecosystem dominance

The new market study will assess if the duopoly of the two firms hurts consumers or competition in the market.

UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), in charge of regulating the competition in the country's markets, has launched an official investigation into Apple's and Google's mobile ecosystems. The market study will aim to address concerns over the have market power that the two majors enjoy and its potential to harm users and other businesses. The assessment will look into the duopoly of the two firms over "the supply of operating systems (iOS and Android), app stores (App Store and Play Store), and web browsers (Safari and Chrome)." The CMA believes that the stronghold is making consumers lose out "across a wide range of areas. In particular, the CMA will assess if the mobile ecosystems of Apple and Google are stifling competition "across a range of digital markets." In a public note, the CMA expresses its concerns that this stronghold could lead to "reduced innovation across the sector and consumers paying higher prices for devices and apps." The loss for consumers might extend to other goods and services due to higher advertising prices on the two mobile ecosystems.