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Photo: Chris Delmas / AFP (Getty Images)
Apple’s walled garden is a nice place to be if you want a no-fuss experience with technology. But the bushy greens and red roses don’t necessarily indicate you’re getting the most out of the device in your hand. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), a governmental entity, has launched an investigation into Apple’s—and Google’s—duopoly in the mobile space. The entity will look at how Apple’s restrictions and sheer presence have hindered the growth of industries from web development to cloud gaming.
The CMA announced its investigation in a press release, citing that “97% of all mobile web browsing in the UK in 2021 happens on browsers powered by either Apple’s or Google’s browser engine, so any restrictions on these engines can have a major impact on users’ experiences.”
The CMA included some preliminary findings to outline where it plans to sniff around. Namely, there’s mention of “substantial support for a fuller investigation” into Apple’s practices from browser vendors competing with mobile Safari, web developers, and cloud gaming service providers.
For example, Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, one of the more popular cloud gaming services due to its vast library, is unavailable in the Apple App Store. It’s only playable through the Safari browser, which the CMA argues is the kind of practice that’s “harming” the cloud gaming industry.
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass never made it to iOS when it launched a few years ago. Microsoft told the press at the time:
Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And it consistently treats gaming apps differently, applying more lenient rules to non-gaming apps even when they include interactive content.”
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