CMA urged to curb Big Tech app fees pushing up prices for users Tech Apple and Google are facing mounting pressure from Britain’s competition watchdog over app store rules that developers say are driving up prices for consumers and making it harder for UK tech firms to compete. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is expected to decide within weeks whether to crack down on so-called “anti-steering” rules, which [...]
City watchdog probes Mastercard, Visa, Paypal for alleged anti-competitive conduct Regulation The City watchdog has confirmed it is investigating a trio of payments giants over alleged anti-competitive conduct. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will probe Mastercard, Paypal and Visa under the Competition Act 1998 regarding its suspected conduct related to the “funding and usage” of Paypal’s digital wallet. Paypal’s digital wallet is an app-based system that [...]
Apple UK posts £5bn turnover as iPhone boom offsets AI lag Tech Apple UK racked up just shy of £5bn in turnover last year, as strong iPhone demand helped power growth across its British operations, according to newly filed accounts. The tech behemoth’s UK arm, based in Battersea Power Station, reported revenue of £4.99bn for the year to 28th September 2025, up from £4.7bn the year before, [...]
Just Eat and Autotrader face fake reviews investigation March 27, 2026 Just Eat and Autotrader are among five firms being probed by the competition watchdog as it uses new fake review rules to crack down on businesses. The food delivery firm’s ratings system may have inflated the star ratings of some restaurants and grocers, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), while the used car [...]
Manufacturers warn UK faces ‘tipping point’ on competitiveness January 12, 2026 The Labour government has been handed a major warning over the future of the manufacturing industry as the sector battles rising costs and pressures to shift business to shift overseas. A fresh survey from the sector’s industry body Make UK showed senior executives in manufacturing firms feared cost pressures would soon reach a “tipping point”. [...]
In focus: Getty and Shutterstock merger gets CMA probe October 20, 2025 The $3.7bn (£2.7bn) merger between Getty Images and Shutterstock is to be the subject of an in-depth probe from the UK’s competition watchdog after ‘substantial concerns’ were flagged. The deal, which was first announced in January, had already attracted the eye of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in June but will now be looked into [...]
Competition is key to turning British scale-ups into global firms September 10, 2025 As other countries reap the benefits of home-grown UK talent, the CMA is committed to cracking the UK's scale-up challenge, writes Sarah Cardell.
Google dodges Chrome breakup, but faces new pressures September 3, 2025 Alphabet’s Google scored a partial victory in Washington after a US federal judge ruled it will not be forced to sell its Chrome browser or Android operating system as part of a landmark antitrust case. But the court stopped short of giving the tech giant a free pass, ordering it to share search data with [...]
Watchdog threatens Ticketmaster with litigation over Oasis tickets July 3, 2025 The competition watchdog has threatened Ticketmaster with legal action as it seeks information over the way the platform sold tickets for Oasis's reunion tour
UK’s competition watchdog sets its sights on Google search June 24, 2025 The UK’s competition watchdog has proposed designating Google with ‘strategic market status’ after an investigation earlier this year revealed market issues. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had “heard concerns” that Google’s search advertising costs are higher “than would be expected” in a “more competitive market”. It will also look into the transparency [...]