UK Regulators Say Apple and Google Have Excessive Consumer Influence... At a Predatory Level

[Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The UK regulatory authority has pointed out that the influence Google and Apple have on consumers is so great that it is close to that of a vice-like corporation.

According to major foreign media on the 14th (local time), the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) criticized Google and Apple for using their overwhelming market influence to build ecosystems for themselves. It also pointed out that through this, Google and Apple limit consumer choice and increase the risk of price hikes.

The CMA has been investigating whether Google and Apple violate antitrust laws since earlier this year and released preliminary investigation results on this day. The CMA notified Apple and Google of this and stated that it will hear their positions by February 7 next year. The CMA is expected to issue a final report by June next year.

Andrea Coscelli, head of the CMA, said, "Apple and Google control the way we use our phones like devils," adding, "I am worried that millions of Britons will suffer losses." As concerns about the expanding influence of big tech companies grow day by day, the CMA expressed the same stance.

Apple claimed that the ecosystem they have built safely protects personal information and increases product sales and jobs for companies. Apple also argued that it brings innovation to the market, revitalizing and making it dynamic.

Google also claimed that the Android ecosystem offers consumers more choices than other mobile platforms in the process of selecting which applications to use. Google stated that thanks to the Android ecosystem, about 250,000 jobs are maintained in the UK, and due to recent policy changes, 99% of developers pay a low service fee of 15% or less. Google emphasized that it is committed to building an open platform that empowers consumers and helps developers succeed.

The CMA recently also expressed the position that the world's largest social media platform Meta (formerly Facebook) should divest 'Giphy.'

Giphy is a moving photo and image search platform. It was co-founded in 2013 by Korean-American Alex Chung and Jace Cook, and Meta acquired Giphy in May last year for $315 million (about 373 billion KRW). Meta announced plans to integrate Giphy with its photo and video social media platform Instagram.

The CMA argued that Meta's removal of Giphy, a potential challenger in the advertising market, could limit competition between social media platforms and advertisers, and therefore Meta should divest Giphy. Antitrust violation allegations

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.