🔗 Share this article Apple may be forced to permit competing app stores within the United Kingdom. The iPhone maker may have to permit rivals to operate separate app stores on iPhones in the UK, following a ruling from the competition regulator. This represents a major shift to the company's well-known "walled garden" where applications can only be downloaded from the company's App Store. But the Competition and Markets Authority has designated both Apple and Google as having "dominant market position" - effectively saying they have a lot of power over mobile platforms. Regulatory Assessment The CMA said the two companies "could be restricting progress and competition". But the authority emphasized it did not "find or assume misconduct" from the firms. "The app economy generates one and a half percent of the British economy and supports around 400,000 jobs, which is why it's essential these markets work well for enterprises," commented a top executive from the competition authority. Around ninety to one hundred percent of British smartphones run on Apple or Google's operating systems, creating what the authority calls an "effective duopoly". According to current data, 48.5% of British smartphone users use an iPhone - which runs Apple's iOS - with the vast majority of the rest using Google's Android. Apple's Reaction The CMA's investigation focused on how prominent Apple and Google's own apps are versus competitors - as well as their web applications and operating systems. It is unknown what changes the regulator will look to request, but earlier it published guidelines detailing possible actions it could take. These comprise requiring it to be easier for people to transition between iOS and Android devices, and for both companies to rank apps "in a fair, objective and transparent manner" in their app stores. The Cupertino company specifically may be required to allow third-party marketplaces on its products, and let people to download programs straight from developer sites. This would follow comparable regulations in the European Union, which previously imposed measures against the company for anti-competitive behaviour. Apple cautioned the UK could lose access to receiving updates - as has happened in the European Union - which the company attributes to strict rules. For instance, some Apple Intelligence features which have been launched in other regions are not available in the European market. "We encounters intense rivalry in every market where we operate, and we work tirelessly to create the best products, solutions and user experience," the company said in a release. "The UK's adoption of European regulations would undermine that, resulting in consumers with weaker privacy and security, slower availability to new features, and a fragmented, less seamless user journey." Google's Position Google device owners can currently use alternative marketplaces - though critics say they are not as user-friendly as the company's official Play Store. The regulator's plan said the search company may have to "modify the interface" of downloading apps straight from websites, as well as "remove user frictions" when using alternative app stores. "There appears to be no the rationale for today's designation decision," a Google competition lead stated. The executive said "most" of Google device owners use third-party platforms or install applications directly from a developer's website, and asserted there is a much wider selection of apps offered for Google device owners compared to those on iOS products. "Currently available are 24,000 Android phone models from 1,300 device makers globally, facing intense competition from Apple's platform in the UK," the representative added. Android is an open-source operating system, which means developers can use and build on top of it for no cost. Google argues this means it promotes competition. But consumer groups said restrictions on these firms' dominance in other countries "currently assist enterprises to innovate and giving customers more options". "Their dominance is now creating genuine problems by restricting choice for consumers and competition for businesses," commented a policy expert.