UK competition cops brand Apple, Google with ‘strategic market status’ for mobile

Steven

UK competition cops brand Apple, Google with ‘strategic market status’ for mobile

Summary

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has designated Apple and Google as holding “strategic market status” (SMS) under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The designation recognises that both firms have substantial, entrenched market power in mobile platforms and gives the CMA broad powers to impose proportionate, targeted interventions over app stores and platform behaviour to promote competition and fair treatment for consumers and businesses. The CMA gathered input from more than 150 stakeholders; Google has criticised the decision as disproportionate, and Apple was offered the chance to comment.

Key Points

  • The CMA has officially designated Apple and Google with SMS for their mobile platforms under the 2024 Act.
  • SMS grants the regulator sweeping oversight and the ability to require targeted interventions to open platforms to effective competition.
  • Investigations found entrenched market power and low likelihood of users switching between Apple and Google’s platforms.
  • The designation is not an allegation of wrongdoing but a formal recognition of strategic significance in the digital economy.
  • Google says the move is disappointing and risks inhibiting UK innovation; the CMA previously gave Google SMS in web search and related products.

Content Summary

The CMA launched separate probes into Apple and Google’s mobile platforms earlier this year and published proposed decisions in July recommending SMS status. It concluded that businesses must typically distribute apps via both platforms to reach the UK market, reinforcing the firms’ gatekeeper roles. SMS gives the CMA legal tools to require changes that improve openness and fairness for developers, businesses and consumers.

Context and Relevance

This decision follows the CMA’s recent actions on Google in search and reflects a broader international trend of regulators giving competition authorities stronger powers over dominant digital platforms. For app developers, businesses that rely on mobile distribution, and policy watchers in the UK, the designation could lead to meaningful changes in app store rules, platform interoperability and how new features are rolled out.

Why should I read this?

Because if you make, sell or use mobile apps, this could actually change the rules of the game. Expect potential shifts in how apps are distributed, what platforms can enforce, and whether smaller players get a fair shot — and that matters to pretty much anyone who uses a smartphone.

Author

Punchy: This is a big regulatory moment — the CMA now has legal teeth to pry open app stores and platform practices. If platform power or app distribution affects you, the follow-up detail is worth a proper read.

Source

Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/10/22/google_apple_sms_uk/