NMA Welcomes CMA Proposal To Designate Apple and Google Mobile Platforms

Responding to the Competition and Markets Authority’s announcement today that it is proposing to designate Apple and Google mobile platforms with strategic market status, News Media Association chief executive Owen Meredith said: “We welcome the Competition and Markets Authority’s proposal to designate Apple and Google’s mobile platforms with strategic market status, in line with the regulator’s stated intention to unlock full potential of the UK’s app economy.

“The mobile ecosystem is an essential gateway and discovery route for consumers accessing news. However, as the CMA notes, Apple and Google hold an effective duopoly over this ecosystem which has led to serious problems for publishers including a lack of transparency around the ranking and visibility of their products in app stores, and excessively high fees.

“The CMA’s work to tackle the imbalance of power within the digital marketplace is very welcome, and we urge the regulator to take robust action as quickly as possible.”