Apple and Google face browser inquiry

APPLE and Google face a crackdown from British regulators over internet tools used by millions amid fears that tech giants are throttling competition.

The Competition and Markets Authority has opened an investigation into Apple and Google’s internet browsing and cloud gaming tech.

It fears that the US companies might be exercising too much power over the markets in which they are competing.

“Many UK businesses and web developers tell us they feel that they are being held back by restrictions set by Apple and Google,” said Sarah Cardell, the CMA’S interim chief executive.

She added that British companies have complained that their businesses are being harmed through policies set by the tech giants, loading them with unnecessary costs.

Part of the investigation will focus on mobile browsers, the apps on phones that display websites. More than 97pc of all mobile web browsing in Britain takes place through software made by Apple and Google, according to CMA figures.

The other big area the CMA will investigate is mobile phone-based cloud gaming.

Google said: “We will continue to engage constructively with the CMA to explain how our approach promotes competition and choice, while ensuring consumers’ privacy and security are always protected.”

An Apple spokesman said it would “engage constructively with the CMA to explain how our approach promotes competition and choice”.