U.K. to Tighten Supervision on Google, Apple Mobile Platforms Under New Tech Law

By Edith Hancock

The U.K.'s competition watchdog said it would strengthen its monitoring of Alphabet's Google and Apple mobile ecosystems under a new law governing business conduct for Big Tech, a setback for the companies as they face added scrutiny across the Atlantic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said Wednesday that both Google and Apple's mobile platforms qualify as companies with so-called strategic market status under the U.K.'s digital markets, competition and consumer law, which is designed to make it easier for the businesses that rely on tech giant's ubiquitous services to reach customers.

It said that U.K. mobile device holders use either Apple or Google's mobile platforms and are unlikely to switch between them.

Google criticized the CMA's ruling, calling it disappointing, disproportionate and unwarranted. Oliver Bethell, senior competition director at Google, said in a blog post that the company's mobile business in the U.K. now faces a set of new and uncertain rules.

"The U.K.'s new digital markets regime was introduced with the promise of being pro-growth and pro-innovation, with the CMA emphasising that its work would be highly targeted and proportionate," Bethell said. "In this context, we simply do not see the rationale for today's designation decision."

Apple said the U.K.'s adoption of EU-style rules would leave users with weaker privacy and security, delayed access to new features and a fragmented, less seamless experience.

"We've seen the impact of regulation on Apple users in the EU, and we urge the UK not to follow the same path," the company said in a statement.

Write to Edith Hancock at edith.hancock@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 22, 2025 09:34 ET (13:34 GMT)