United Kingdom: Competition and Markets Authority published final report on Apple’s policies as part of mobile browsers and cloud gaming market investigation

On 12 March 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) independent inquiry group published its final report following a market investigation into mobile browsers and cloud gaming. The report concludes that competition in mobile browsers is not functioning effectively, potentially hindering innovation and growth in the UK. Most concerns relate to Apple’s policies governing mobile browser functionality on its devices. After reviewing responses to the provisional decision report, the inquiry group upheld its concerns in all but two areas, which Apple addressed through a December software update that improved default browser selection. The group maintained its view that no further action is needed in cloud gaming. Since the provisional report, the CMA launched investigations in January into whether Apple should be designated as having strategic market status (SMS) under the new digital market’s regime. If designated, the CMA could impose measures to enhance competition, such as enabling greater browser differentiation and improving user choice. These investigations are ongoing and expected to conclude later in 2025. The inquiry group highlighted that the findings should inform the CMA’s SMS investigations, with the report suggesting that interventions under the new regulatory framework could strengthen competition, benefiting consumers and businesses.