Technology

UK regulators challenge Apple and Google’s dominance with strategic market status

Thursday, 23 October 2025 4:04AM UTC

The UK's CMA has granted Apple and Google strategic market status, paving the way for regulatory measures aimed at increasing competition and innovation in their mobile platforms amid concerns over entrenched market power.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that Apple and Google have been designated as holding 'strategic market status' for their mobile platforms, a move that could lead to significant regulatory interventions aimed at boosting competition and innovation in the mobile ecosystem. This status follows the CMA's extensive inquiry into the companies' mobile operating systems, app stores, and browsers, recognising their considerable and entrenched market power in the UK, where approximately 90 percent of smartphones use either Apple's iOS or Google's Android operating systems.

The CMA’s decision is part of a broader push under new regulatory powers granted at the start of the year to tackle dominant players in digital markets. The authority held consultations and received feedback before confirming this designation, highlighting concerns that the current dominance of Apple and Google may be restricting innovation and consumer choice. Will Hayter, executive director for digital markets at the CMA, expressed the regulator’s view that the "platforms' rules may be limiting innovation and competition," and that the designation would enable the CMA to take appropriate actions to foster a more competitive environment beneficial to both consumers and businesses.

The mobile ecosystems under scrutiny encompass not just the operating systems iOS and Android, but also the associated app stores and browsers—key areas where Apple and Google maintain tight control. The CMA’s findings align with earlier observations that mobile internet browser markets, especially those dominated by Apple’s Safari and Google’s Chrome, are not functioning optimally, presenting opportunities for more choice and innovation to emerge. This regulatory approach aims to encourage a more vibrant app economy, which in the UK contributes an estimated 1.5 percent of GDP and supports roughly 400,000 jobs.

Apple and Google have ground to stand on to defend their ecosystems, both emphasising the benefits of their platforms despite regulatory concerns. Apple stated that the company faces "fierce competition in every market" and warned that adopting EU-style regulations in the UK could compromise user privacy, security, and experience. Google labelled the CMA’s decision as "disappointing, disproportionate and unwarranted," stressing the openness of its Android operating system, which allows manufacturers and developers to customise and distribute through alternative app stores. Google highlighted statistics showing a wide variety of Android devices and alternatives to Google Play pre-installed, and claimed that their platform supports over 457,000 UK jobs, generating around £9.9 billion in developer revenue.

Despite these defences, the CMA believes that Apple's and Google’s entrenched control allows them to set terms that could limit competition and innovation. The regulator has made clear that its next steps could involve imposing new rules to enhance competitiveness and consumer choice in the UK’s mobile market. Other major technology players in the broader ecosystem include Microsoft, Amazon, and Samsung, but Apple and Google’s dominance in mobile platforms remains particularly pronounced.

This regulatory development signals a significant shift in how digital markets will be managed in the UK, with the CMA taking a proactive stance in ensuring fairer competition in sectors critical to everyday life, from banking and shopping to education and entertainment. The designation of strategic market status does not imply wrongdoing by Apple or Google but empowers the CMA to enforce measures that could reshape the mobile landscape, potentially affecting how consumers access and pay for digital services on their devices moving forward.

📌 Reference Map:

Paragraph 1 – ^[1] (Nottingham Post), ^[2] (UK Government)
Paragraph 2 – ^[1] (Nottingham Post), ^[4] (UK Government)
Paragraph 3 – ^[3] (Reuters), ^[4] (UK Government)
Paragraph 4 – ^[1] (Nottingham Post)
Paragraph 5 – ^[1] (Nottingham Post)
Paragraph 6 – ^[1] (Nottingham Post), ^[2] (UK Government), ^[6] (AP News)

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/uk-world-news/apple-google-could-forced-make-10592574 - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-confirms-apple-and-google-have-strategic-market-status-in-mobile-platforms - The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that Apple and Google hold 'strategic market status' in their mobile platforms, including operating systems, app stores, and browsers. This designation allows the CMA to consider interventions to enhance competition, aiming to benefit consumers and businesses. The decision follows extensive consultation and analysis, indicating that both companies possess substantial and entrenched market power in the UK mobile ecosystem.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/apple-google-face-more-uk-antitrust-scrutiny-over-mobile-ecosystems-2025-07-23/ - Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced plans to designate Apple and Google as having strategic market status (SMS) due to their dominant roles in mobile ecosystems, especially in mobile browser markets. This move follows findings that mobile internet browser markets, dominated by Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome, are not functioning optimally for consumers or businesses. The CMA believes targeted actions could foster greater innovation and consumer choice, emphasizing the importance of Apple’s and Google’s platforms to the UK economy.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-proposes-action-to-drive-more-competition-on-mobile-platforms - The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is proposing to designate Apple and Google with 'strategic market status' (SMS) in each of their mobile platforms and has published separate roadmaps of potential actions to improve competition. The UK has a vibrant app developer community, representing Europe’s largest app economy by revenue and app developer count. In total, the UK app economy generates an estimated 1.5% of the UK’s GDP and supports around 400,000 jobs here.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-to-investigate-apple-and-googles-mobile-ecosystems - The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched strategic market status (SMS) investigations into Apple and Google's mobile ecosystems, including operating systems, app stores, and browsers. The investigations will assess the impact on users and businesses developing services or content for these devices. The CMA will take a proportionate and transparent approach to this investigation and will now focus on engaging a wide range of stakeholders, including device manufacturers, software developers, and user groups.
https://www.apnews.com/article/ba521d7861a91ea763a58911fdfc5e24 - The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has officially designated Google and Apple with 'strategic market status' due to their dominant roles in mobile platforms, signaling the potential for new regulatory measures aimed at enhancing competition. This move follows prior investigations into the companies’ control of Android and iOS systems under new digital market rules. Although this designation doesn’t imply any wrongdoing, it grants the CMA the authority to implement measures promoting fairness for businesses and consumers.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/23/apple-and-google-hit-with-uk-antitrust-probe-into-mobile-ecosystems.html - Britain's competition regulator on Thursday launched an investigation into Apple and Google's huge mobile ecosystems to determine whether the tech titans are in breach of the U.K.'s strict new digital competition rules. The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority said it was opening dual probes into both U.S. tech giants to assess whether they hold 'strategic market status' in their respective mobile ecosystems, including operating systems, app stores, and smartphone-based browsers.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative is based on a recent press release from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), published on 22 October 2025, confirming the designation of Apple and Google with strategic market status in their mobile platforms. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-confirms-apple-and-google-have-strategic-market-status-in-mobile-platforms?utm_source=openai)) This indicates high freshness, as the information is current and directly sourced from the CMA's official announcement.

Quotes check

Score: 10

Notes: The direct quotes attributed to Will Hayter, Executive Director for Digital Markets at the CMA, are consistent with those found in the CMA's official press release. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-confirms-apple-and-google-have-strategic-market-status-in-mobile-platforms?utm_source=openai)) This alignment suggests that the quotes are accurately reported and not taken out of context.

Source reliability

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative originates from the Nottingham Post, a reputable UK news outlet, and references the CMA's official press release. The inclusion of direct links to the CMA's official statements further enhances the reliability of the information presented.

Plausability check

Score: 10

Notes: The claims regarding the CMA's designation of Apple and Google with strategic market status are corroborated by multiple reputable sources, including the CMA's official press release and coverage by major news outlets. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-confirms-apple-and-google-have-strategic-market-status-in-mobile-platforms?utm_source=openai)) The narrative's tone and language are consistent with standard reporting on regulatory decisions, and the information aligns with known facts about the CMA's recent actions.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is based on a recent and official announcement from the CMA, with quotes accurately reflecting the CMA's statements. The source is reputable, and the information is consistent with other credible reports, indicating a high level of reliability and freshness.

UK regulation
Apple
Google
Mobile ecosystems