Why Apple and Google Face a U.K. Regulatory Clampdown

Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Apple Inc. have become embroiled in a pioneering market study by the U.K.’s antitrust agency that will examine their dominance and effective duopoly in mobile systems. The probe will likely have wider implications beyond the two tech giants. It could shape a new regulatory regime that will determine whether companies hold “strategic market status,” a category being introduced to help the watchdog rein in a handful of powerful firms.

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority uses the tool to identify whether markets are working for consumers. The results can lead to enforcement action against companies, referring them to an in-depth probe, or recommending policy changes to government.