The United Kingdom could precipitate a significant iPhone revamp after a government report found that “Apple’s rules restrict other competitors from being able to deliver new, innovative features that could benefit consumers.”
The findings in the report are sure to inform government regulators as they enforce the U.K.’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which goes into effect in January 2025.
CMA considering sweeping changes to iPhone in the UK
In 2021, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority said Apple and Google have unfairly “developed a vice-like grip” on how we use our smartphones. It found that the two U.S. tech giants have an effective duopoly on mobile ecosystems, including operating systems, app stores and web browsers.
On Friday, the CMA’s independent inquiry group released further findings that criticize Apple’s policy of preventing third-party browsers from using their own browser engines on iOS and instead requiring them to use WebKit. This means that rival browsers have been “unable to offer a full range of browser features, such as faster webpage loading on iPhone,” according to the group. They also claim this policy stalled the adoption of web apps — websites that act as iPhone apps.
And that’s not the only practice drawing criticism. When iPhone and Android users are presented with choices on which browser to use, “Apple and Google can manipulate these choices to make their own browsers the clearest or easiest option,” the group says.
However, the group advised the CMA that Apple’s recent reversal in policy to allow cloud gaming platforms to appear in the App Store means that no additional changes are necessary.
UK follows in EU regulatory footsteps
These findings will be used by those tasked with enforcing the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. This gives the CMA the power to impose legally binding conduct requirements or pro-competition interventions on companies, including Apple and Google.
The CMA solicited comments on these provisional findings Friday. It expects to make a final decision on them in March 2025.
If the DMCC sounds familiar, it’s the U.K. equivalent of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. The DMA already forced Apple to make many of the changes the U.K. regulators seem poised to demand, including allowing alternative browser engines.
These changes only apply to the European Union, however, just as those required by the DMCC will only apply in the United Kingdom.
