The UK Competition and Markets Authority has investigated various antitrust complaints brought against Apple. Here are its conclusions: scoop, the company takes anti-competitive positions…
It is obvious, Apple does not really rhyme with open ecosystem. The Apple brand has been striving for several months to close the doors to third-party cloud gaming services, including NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW, and to impose the use of WebKit as the web engine for applications on mobiles and tablets. These foreclosures are the subject of a market study launched in June 2021 by the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority). The British body has delivered its verdict.
Lack of access to cloud gaming services is detrimental to consumers
Regarding cloud gaming services, Apple does not allow native applications on mobiles / tablets, unlike Google with Android. To access a service like the GeForce NOW from an iPhone, you have to go through the Safari browser. Some suspect Apple of doing so to favor its Apple Arcade service (which is not a cloud gaming service but simply a game subscription).
The CMA believes that Apple ” blocked the emergence of cloud gaming services on its App Store. […] Gaming apps are a key source of revenue for Apple, and cloud gaming services could pose a real threat to Apple’s strong position in app distribution. By preventing this sector from developing, Apple risks depriving mobile users of all the advantages of cloud gaming. “.
Specifically, the CMA concludes that Apple’s exclusion of cloud gaming services harms both developers and consumers.
WebKit: a problematic lack of alternatives
About WebKit, the Cupertino giant only approves browsers that use this engine and reserves certain features for Safari.
Again, the CMA considers that Apple “ prohibits alternatives to its own browser on its mobile devices, a restriction of its own “.
The organization “ is concerned that this severely limits competing browsers’ ability to differentiate themselves from Safari (for example, on features such as speed and functionality) “. In addition, the CMA judges that “ this restriction also seriously hampers the capabilities of web applications – applications that run on a browser rather than having to be downloaded individually – thereby depriving consumers and businesses of all the benefits of this innovative technology. “.
Note that a broader investigation into the conditions Apple places on developers is also underway; the conclusions have not yet been published. Finally, the CMA is also conducting investigations into the in-app payment conditions introduced by Google on the Play Store.
Source : CMA
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