The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has recently proposed a new bill that could impose billions of pounds in fines on large tech companies such as Apple and Google if they breach its rules.
The UK official press release states that the purpose of the bill is to give the CMA greater powers and penalties to tackle the problem of “excessive dominance” by technology companies, in order to further promote competition and protect consumers.
The CMA did not specify in its press release which companies with a “strategic market position” would be monitored, but companies with a global turnover of more than £25 billion (currently around RMB 215 billion) and a UK turnover of more than £1 billion (currently around RMB 8.6 billion) would be included in the regulation, and Apple, Google and Amazon are likely to fall into this category.
These companies would likely be required to improve the transparency of their app shops and review systems, and the agency would have the power to open up specific markets as appropriate.
For example, Apple could be required to open up third-party app stores, allowing iPhone and iPad users to download apps and games from other app stores, etc.
