UK competition regulator wants iPhone browser competition, but Apple not allowed to win [U]

The UK competition watchdog has effectively told Apple that it must allow free and open competition between iPhone web browsers, but at the same time Safari cannot be better than its competitors. Update: The final report is now out, with no change to the CMA’s stance. Apple has responded by stating that making new features available within WebKit “would lead to free-riding” by developers creating competing browsers … A quick recap Things kicked off in the EU, when an investigation concluded that Apple was breaking competition law by forcing developers of competing web browsers to use WebKit, meaning their code couldn’t be more efficient, and they couldn’t offer features that aren’t supported by Safari. Essentially, competing browsers were just a different wrapper around the same code. Apple responded by allowing third-party browsers to use their own web engines, and also by offering users a choice of default web browser when setting up their phones. The UK’s Competition and Marke ... Read full article.