Apple (AAPL.US) and Google (GOOGL.US) to be investigated by UK antitrust regulator over their dominance in the mobile browser market

British antitrust regulators said in an interim decision that Apple (AAPL.US) and Google (GOOGL.US) will face a formal investigation for their dominance in the mobile browser market, aimed at curbing the tech giants' monopoly over mobile operating systems.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said in an interim probe that the mobile browser market was not working well for businesses and millions of mobile users in the UK. It recommended that the activities of Apple and Google's mobile ecosystems be prioritised for investigation under new digital competition rules that will come into effect next year.

The CMA's independent inquiry found that Apple and Google had created a de facto "duopoly" in mobile ecosystems, including operating systems, app stores and web browsers on mobile devices. The inquiry found that Apple's policies were hindering innovation in mobile browsers. The CMA said it would invite public comments on the interim findings by December 13, and expects to make a final decision by March next year.