Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has formally classified Apple and Google as having “strategic market status,” granting the watchdog the power to enforce new competition rules over their smartphone ecosystems.
The move targets how Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms manage app stores, browsers, and developer access, which regulators say could restrict innovation and limit consumer choice.
The CMA said the new designation will allow it to design “proportionate, targeted interventions” to open the mobile market to competition, but stressed it is not an accusation of misconduct.
Both companies pushed back. Google called the decision “disappointing and disproportionate,” while Apple warned that the UK risked replicating the EU’s regulatory missteps, which it claims have weakened user privacy and delayed feature rollouts.
Experts said the CMA could now compel Apple and Google to loosen app store restrictions — for instance, allowing developers to advertise cheaper subscription deals directly to users.
The decision positions Britain among major economies tightening control over Big Tech’s dominance, even as business groups caution that uncertainty from new rules could deter investment.
