Tech giant Apple has won an appeal against the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s principal authority responsible for competition and consumer protection to investigate its market dominance.
Apple had successfully argued that the antitrust watchdog had no power to investigate its position in the mobile browser market.
Recall that the CMA last November disclosed that it was conducting a probe into Apple’s dominance in the mobile phone market. The antitrust regulator further revealed that it received widespread support for its proposals which saw it launch an investigation into Apple’s cloud gaming and mobile browsers.
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According to the CMA’s interim Chief Executive Sarah Cardell via a statement, she disclosed that many UK businesses and web developers disclosed that they feel they are being backed by restrictions set by Apple.
The CMA noted that Apple and Google have a strong hold over mobile device operating systems, app stores and browsers. It said 97 percent of UK web browsing in2021 happened on either Apple or Google’s browser engines.
In its victory over the CMA investigation into its market dominance, Apple said the CMA should have opened the probe at the same time its first published its report on mobile ecosystems last June. The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), the court that oversees CMA cases, agreed with Apple, stating that the regulator gave notice of its investigation too late.
Apple, which was pleased with the CAT decision, disclosed that it would continue working to deliver support for developers and a safe and secure experience for users.
On the other hand, the CMA was displeased with the judgment, refusing it access to investigate Apple’s market dominance. It wrote in a statement, “We are disappointed with today’s judgment. We made this market investigation reference to make sure that the UK consumers get a better choice of mobile market services and that UK developers can invest in innovative new apps.
“Our concerns, and the reasons why we launched our market investigation, we’re not challenged by Apple. Given the importance of today’s judgment, we will be considering our options including seeking permission to appeal.”
Since the launch of its first phone, Apple has continued to dominate the mobile market. It has been a trend setter and has attracted a large number of loyal customers who buy every product they launch.
It is interesting to note that with 38 Apple stores In the United Kingdom, Apple remains undisputed in the smartphone and tablet computer markets. In 2021, Apple’s iOS accounted for over half of both the mobile and tablet operating system market share.