Mobile browser: Investigation report incriminates Apple and Google

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Apple and Google are facing trouble in the UK due to their competitive behavior in mobile browsers. Apple in particular comes off badly in the investigation report now presented by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). At the same time, further investigations into the market position of the two tech companies are underway. The iPhone manufacturer is facing severe penalties based on its annual turnover, the scale of which is reminiscent of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Specifically, the independent investigation group criticized Apple for the exclusivity of Apple's WebKit browser engine on iOS devices. Apple also favors its browser in the operating system, imposes its browser engine on third-party apps, and gives itself supremacy by pre-installing its browser. A market study by the CMA came to similar conclusions back in November 2024. The report has now substantiated the allegations.

High market shares for browsers

The report backs up the alleged supremacy with figures. According to these figures, the market share of Safari on iOS is 88 percent and that of Google Chrome on Android is 77 percent.

Pre-installation is also criticized in the report in the case of Google. Overall, however, the problems with the search engine provider are rated as less serious. However, it is problematic that Google pays Apple large sums of money to set Google as the default search engine on the iPhone. This issue is also the subject of antitrust proceedings against Google in the USA.

Web apps also affected

The report also identifies an obstruction of progressive web apps (PWAs). These are cheaper and easier to develop, as they can run on any operating system, but are hindered by restrictions, according to British app developers.

The chair of the independent review group, Margot Daly, concludes that “competition between different mobile browsers is not working well and this is holding back innovation in the UK”.

How Apple is reacting

In a statement to the US portal The Verge, Apple emphasized that it is committed to “thriving and dynamic markets where innovation can flourish”. The iPhone manufacturer announced that it would work “constructively” with the CMA. At the same time, the iPhone manufacturer is using the arguments already used in disputes with the EU Commission that data protection, security, and user experience could suffer if the CMA report leads to enforcement measures.

Apple and Google have already made it easier to switch to alternative browsers in the UK. For example, Apple introduced the option to change the default browser with iOS 18.2. However, the report calls for more far-reaching changes, including allowing alternative browser engines on iOS as practiced in the EU, displaying a browser selection screen during device setup and a ban on revenue sharing between Apple and Google.

Further investigations underway

The parallel investigations are also examining whether Apple and Google have “Strategic Market Status”. This corresponds to the classification as a “Very Large Platform” in the EU, which means that regulators have more extensive instruments at their disposal to impose measures on companies. With a classification under the UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC), Apple could be subject to penalties of up to 10 percent of its annual turnover.

(mki)