UK competition regulator wants iPhone browser competition, but Apple not allowed to win

The UK competition watchdog has effectively told Apple that it must allow free and open competition between iPhone web browsers, but at the same time Safari cannot be better than its competitors.

Update: The final report is now out, with no change to the CMA’s stance.

Apple has responded by stating that making new features available within WebKit “would lead to free-riding” by developers creating competing browsers …

A quick recap

Things kicked off in the EU, when an investigation concluded that Apple was breaking competition law by forcing developers of competing web browsers to use WebKit, meaning their code couldn’t be more efficient, and they couldn’t offer features that aren’t supported by Safari. Essentially, competing browsers were just a different wrapper around the same code.

Apple responded by allowing third-party browsers to use their own web engines, and also by offering users a choice of default web browser when setting up their phones.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened its own investigation and provisionally reached the same conclusion late last year.

However, it also said that when Apple developed new features for its own browser engine, WebKit, it must make those available to other developers.

Apple responds to UK competition watchdog

Apple responded by stating that it couldn’t afford to give away new web browsing features to other developers, as that would hamper its ability to innovate. Reuters reports on the iPhone maker’s submission to the CMA.

Apple said it would “not be appropriate” to mandate that access to future WebKit or that iOS features in use by Safari be provided free of charge, adding that developing features is a time and resource-intensive process.

“Apple cannot recoup a reasonable amount of those expenses … to do so would have a chilling impact on Apple’s incentives to innovate and would lead to free-riding and underinvestment on the part of third parties.”

9to5Mac’s Take

Apple’s claim that it can’t afford to innovate under these conditions is, of course, silly. But the company does otherwise have a good point. Apple originally forced developers to use WebKit, the company arguing this was to keep the platform safe while competition regulators suggested it was so that competing browsers couldn’t out-perform Safari.

Having now allowed developers to create their own browsing engines, opening up full competition for the first time, Apple is now being told that it must share its own browser improvements with its competitors.

The UK’s CMA seemingly wants to have it both ways – genuine competition between browsers, but with Apple not allowed to win.

Photo by Joan Gamell on Unsplash

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