Apple's Browser Rules Stifle Innovation on iOS, Says UK Regulator

Apple's restrictions on mobile browsers are limiting innovation and holding back new features that could benefit iPhone users, according to provisional findings published today by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

app store blue banner uk fixed
In its report, the CMA's independent inquiry group determined that Apple's Safari browser policies prevent competing browsers from implementing certain features, such as faster webpage loading technologies. The investigation also revealed that many UK app developers would prefer to offer progressive web apps as an alternative to App Store distribution, but Apple's current iOS limitations make this impractical.

Adding to competitive concerns, the regulator highlighted a revenue-sharing agreement between Apple and Google that "significantly reduces their financial incentives to compete" in the mobile browser space on iOS. The CMA also found that both companies can manipulate how users are presented with browser choices, making their own offerings appear as the clearest or easiest options.

"Through our investigation, we have provisionally found that competition between different mobile browsers is not working well and this is holding back innovation in the UK," said Margot Daly, chair of the CMA's independent inquiry group.

The investigation initially covered both mobile browsers and cloud gaming concerns, but the CMA has decided not to pursue action regarding cloud gaming, noting that Apple has already addressed the primary issue by beginning to allow cloud gaming apps on the App Store.

In its summary of provisional decision, the regulator is recommending that these findings be addressed through the UK's upcoming Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which takes effect in January 2025. This legislation will give the CMA new powers to designate firms as having "Strategic Market Status" and impose appropriate interventions to promote competition.

The CMA is accepting public comments on its provisional findings until December 13, with a final decision expected in March 2025. Similar investigations into mobile browser competition are currently being conducted by the European Commission and the United States Department of Justice.

Update: Apple provided MacRumors with the following statement:

"Apple believes in thriving and dynamic markets where innovation can flourish. We face competition in every segment and jurisdiction where we operate, and our focus is always the trust of our users. We disagree with the findings in the report regarding Safari, WebKit, and in-app browsing on iOS. We are concerned that the interventions discussed in the report for future consideration under the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Act would undermine user privacy and security and hinder our ability to make the kind of technology that sets Apple apart. We will continue to engage constructively with the CMA as their work on this matter progresses."

Apple maintains that it fosters robust competition by offering a variety of WebKit-based third-party browsers on the App Store that compete alongside Safari, and that settings are included in iOS that allow users to easily switch their default browser.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Latest iPhone 17 Series CAD Images in Line With Redesign Rumors

Friday February 28, 2025 2:51 am PST by
Apple is expected to embrace a new camera system design for some models in its upcoming iPhone 17 series, and the latest purported CAD images don't deviate from what we have been hearing lately about Apple's new lineup. If you do not like the sound of an iPhone with a Google Pixel-style camera bar, look away now. Seasoned leaker Sonny Dickson shared the following images in a post on X...
iphone 16e usb c feature

Apple Provides Reason for iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 28, 2025 4:39 am PST by
Apple has offered a reason why the iPhone 16e doesn't include MagSafe, one of the more notable omissions from its latest entry-level smartphone. According to Apple representatives who spoke to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, MagSafe is not included in the iPhone 16e because "most people in the iPhone 16e's target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging...
apple intelligence black

These New Apple Intelligence Features Are Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday February 28, 2025 3:17 pm PST by
iOS 18.4 was supposed to bring new Apple Intelligence Siri features, but Apple ended up needing to pull those capabilities from the update to continue testing. There are fewer new Apple Intelligence additions now, but there are still some new features that will make the update worth installing when it comes out in April. Priority Notifications Apple introduced Priority Notifications back at ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Rumored to Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Saturday March 1, 2025 11:00 am PST by
iOS 19 is still around three months away from being unveiled, but there are plenty of rumors about the upcoming update. Below, we recap iOS 19 rumors so far. Redesigned Camera App A leak earlier this year allegedly revealed a redesigned Camera app coming with iOS 19. On his YouTube channel Front Page Tech in January, Jon Prosser shared a video showing what the new Camera app will...
cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
apple c1

How Fast is Apple's First-Ever 5G Modem? The Results Are Surprising

Friday February 28, 2025 10:08 am PST by
iPhone 16e reviews are now out, and Apple's custom-designed C1 modem has been put to the test. The results so far are quite surprising, as the C1's speeds are not as slow compared to Qualcomm modems as originally expected. While the C1 does not support ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., it appears to offer comparable 5G performance to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X71 modem found in the iPhone 16,...

Top Rated Comments

Koudspeel Avatar
14 weeks ago
Better pull out of the UK, Apple
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wanha Avatar
14 weeks ago
The UK's laws and regulations stifle innovation, too, but somehow they don't seem concerned about that...

Sincerely,
The Devil's Advocate
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lihp8270 Avatar
14 weeks ago

No wonder why Gurman said Apple is probably relieved Trump won. This overseas bullying must end.
I assume the US will allow foreign companies to operate within the US with no regard for US law?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
14 weeks ago
It’s interesting to me that regulators are so focused on tech company monopolies and yet don’t seemed too concerned about the plethora of other monopolies that more directly affect our day-to-day lives.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tago Avatar
14 weeks ago
By their take on things, the practice should strengthen other platforms like Android, Android derivates, Sailfish or whatever and thereby enhance the overall competition.

If dominance in the browser segment is an issue, they probably would do a better job if they had a look at Google`s dominance with chrome/engine, and how they dominate advertising.

Keeping iOS tight is beneficial for all sorts of reasons including safety and privacy. One would be a fool thinking that privacy is yours by using iOS, the name of the game is the lesser evil, and iOS is. Unless the likes of Sailfish actually do what they promise.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DelayedGratificationGene Avatar
14 weeks ago
No wonder why Gurman said Apple is probably relieved Trump won. This overseas bullying must end.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)