Google and Apple Under Investigation by UK Watchdog

The UK competition watchdog uses current digital rules to inspect Apple's and Google's mobile frameworks for their market control and undesirable business practices.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) from Britain launched independent probes against Google and Apple on Thursday to examine their mobile network structure. This year the CMA received new authorization to investigate how Android from Google and iOS from Apple maintain control of market positions that might prevent competition from thriving. The research will investigate the app stores and operating systems together with preinstalled applications such as Google's YouTube and Apple's Safari browser.

The CMA investigates whether the companies prefer their own apps while imposing onerous conditions upon outside apps developers. Android received support from Google because the company argued its openness fosters choices between products yet Apple maintained a stance supporting competitive markets. The regulatory body called for the enforcement of measures such as letting users access mobile features directly and providing access to third-party applications through stores.

 The investigation is anticipated to finish in October as tech leaders reportedly show support for the collaborative effort.