Mobile browsers and cloud gaming
The CMA is carrying out a market investigation in respect of the supply of mobile browsers and browser engines, and the distribution of cloud gaming services through app stores on mobile devices in the UK.
Administrative timetable
| Date | Action |
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| 16 March 2025 | Statutory deadline |
| 12 March 2025 | Publication of final report |
| 23 January 2025 | Final deadline for all parties’ responses/submissions before final report |
| November 2024 to December 2024 | Response hearings |
| November 2024 | Provisional decision report |
| September 2024 | Deadline for all parties’ responses/submissions required before the provisional decision report |
| March to August 2024 | Publication of working papers and/or disclosure to relevant parties |
| 20 March 2024 | Responses to the issues statement published |
| 24 January 2024 to June 2024 | Information requests, hearings |
| 24 January 2024 | Market investigation recommenced |
| 31 March 2023 | Market investigation suspended |
| November 2022 to 31 March 2023 | Information requests, site visits, publication of issues statement, responses to issues statement from main and third parties, hearings |
| 22 November 2022 | Reference made by CMA |
Market investigation
Final report
12 March 2025: The CMA has published its final decision report in its market investigation into mobile browsers and cloud gaming. It has found competition concerns in relation to mobile browsers and has issued its final decision confirming its recommendation.
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- Press notice: Final report into mobile browsers and cloud gaming published (12.3.25)
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Provisional decision report response hearing summaries
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Provisional findings
22 November 2024: The CMA has published its provisional decision in its market investigation into mobile browsers and cloud gaming. We have provisionally found competition concerns in the mobile browsers market.
The deadline for submitting responses to the provisional findings was 5pm on Friday 13 December 2024.
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- Press notice: CMA publishes provisional findings in Mobile Browser and Cloud Gaming market investigation (22.11.24)
Responses to the provisional decision report
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Hearing summaries
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Progress update
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Working papers
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The CMA welcomed comments on WP1 to WP6 until 29 July 2024, as well as on WP7 until 29 August 2024.
Responses to working papers
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Market investigation recommenced
26 January 2024: Parties can make supplemental submissions on the issues statement until 23 February 2024.
24 January 2024: The market investigation has now recommenced in accordance a Court of Appeal order dated 30 November 2023. This followed an earlier order by the Competition Appeals Tribunal which had suspended the market investigation from 31 March 2023.
30 November 2023: In a unanimous judgment (available on the National Archives website), the Court of Appeal has determined that the CMA’s decision to make a market investigation reference in relation to the market for mobile browsers and cloud gaming was lawful, setting aside the CAT’s judgment of 31 March 2023.
Inquiry group changes
24 January 2024: Robin Foster has stood down from his role in the inquiry group. David Thomas has been appointed to the inquiry group.
Primary research
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Updated responses to the issues statement
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Market investigation timetable suspended following Competition Appeal Tribunal order and judgment
31 March 2023: The market investigation timetable was suspended with effect from 31 March 2023 following a Competition Appeal Tribunal judgment and order.
Invitation to comment on consumer survey draft questionnaire
15 February 2023: As part of its investigation into mobile browsing and cloud gaming, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) appointed Kantar Public (now Verian) to conduct a quantitative survey of UK consumers who own a smartphone. The below linked Questionnaire notice provides details of the research approach.
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The CMA welcomed comments on the draft questionnaire to be used in the proposed survey by 5.00pm GMT 22 February 2023.
Responses to the issues statement
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Issues statement
26 January 2024: Parties can make supplemental submissions on the issues statement until 23 February 2024.
13 December 2022: The issues statement outlines initial theories on what might be affecting competition and potential remedies. It doesn’t set out our findings or conclusions. Parties were invited to provide submissions commenting on the issues and possible remedies. The deadline for submissions on the issues statement was Tuesday 17 January 2023.
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Invitation to comment on research agencies
1 December 2022: As part of its browsers and cloud gaming market investigation, the CMA intends to carry out research with consumers and web developers. We have identified a number of firms to undertake this research and comments are invited on potential conflicts of interest or any other restriction on the firms’ suitability to carry out the work.
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Consumer research: The central objective for the consumer research is to measure and develop our understanding of consumer behaviour in the mobile browser market, with a particular focus on understanding the drivers of browser choice on smartphone devices. We expect the research will involve both qualitative and quantitative research disciplines and we encourage agencies to propose research methodologies which best address our research objectives.
Web developer research: The central objective for the web developer research is to develop our understanding of the experiences of web developers in relation to browsers and browser engines. We believe qualitative research will be most appropriate for this project but again encourage agencies to propose research approaches which best meet our research objectives.
Inquiry group appointed
22 November 2022: The CMA appointed the inquiry group on 22 November 2022. Margot Daly (Inquiry Chair), Robin Foster, Cyrus Mehta and Claire Whyley.
CMA Board advisory steer
22 November 2022: The CMA Board’s advisory steer to the inquiry group can be found below.
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Terms of reference
22 November 2022: The terms of reference for the CMA’s investigation can be found below.
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Decision document
22 November 2022: The decision document for the CMA’s investigation can be found below.
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Case opened
22 November 2022: The CMA has decided to refer the supply of mobile browsers and mobile browser engines, and the distribution of cloud gaming services through app stores on mobile devices (referred to as ‘mobile browsers and cloud gaming’) for an in-depth Phase 2 market investigation.
- Press notice: Investigation into cloud gaming and browsers to support UK tech and consumers (22.11.22)
On 10 June 2022, the CMA published the final report of its market study into mobile ecosystems. In parallel, we launched a consultation on the proposal to make a market investigation reference into the supply of mobile browsers and mobile browser engines, and the distribution of cloud gaming services through app stores on mobile devices (referred to as ‘mobile browsers and cloud gaming’).
The final report of the mobile ecosystems market study can be found on the Mobile ecosystems market study case page.
Responses to the consultation for the proposed market investigation
22 November 2022: Responses can be found on Mobile browsers and cloud gaming: Proposal to make a market reference consultation page.
Personal information
The CMA may collect, use and share personal data for its market investigations under the Enterprise Act 2002. This includes processing personal data for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
For more information about how the CMA handles personal information, see the CMA’s Personal Information Charter.
Contact
Please send written representations about any competition issues to browsersandcloud@cma.gov.uk.
Updates to this page
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Final decision report published.
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Summary of final decision published.
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Summaries of provisional decision response hearings with Apple and Google published.
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Responses to the provisional decision report published.
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Notice of provisional findings, provisional decision, hearing summaries and responses to working paper 7 published.
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Ericsson’s response to working paper 6 published.
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Responses to working papers 1 to 6 published.
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Administrative timetable updated.
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Working paper 7 and Verian final report published
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Working papers 4 to 6 and external research papers published.
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Progress update, 3 working papers and external research published.
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Responses to the issues statement published
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Administrative timetable updated.
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Market investigation recommenced.
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Update to Court of Appeal judgment published.
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Court of Appeal judgment published
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Further update on the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) judgment and subsequent order updated
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Further update on the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) judgment and subsequent order updated
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Further update on the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) judgment and subsequent order updated
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Update on Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) judgment added.
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Invitation to comment on consumer survey draft questionnaire published.
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Responses to the issues statement published.
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Administrative timetable published.
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Issues statement published.
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Agencies invitation to comment published
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Reference decision, terms of reference and board advisory steer published and inquiry group appointed.
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First published.