The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has decided to discontinue its ongoing investigations into the app stores operated by Apple and Google, citing the anticipated introduction of new legislation governing digital markets. In 2022, the CMA released a study highlighting that Apple and Google hold a dominant position in the UK’s mobile app distribution market, prompting the watchdog to initiate separate investigations into potential anticompetitive practices by the tech giants.

However, on Wednesday, the CMA announced the suspension of these probes as it awaits the implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA), which is expected to be enacted later this year. Will Hayter, Executive Director for Digital Markets at the CMA, stated, “Once the new pro-competition digital markets regime comes into force, we’ll be able to consider applying those new powers to concerns we have already identified through our existing work.”