According to the Financial Times, the UK is going to abandon plans to heavily regulate Apple and other tech companies.
A bill to empower the Digital Markets Unit will not be included in the British government's new legislative agenda, according to a report by the Financial Times. The DMU will be given the power to create a code of conduct for big tech companies in the UK if it is set up in 2020. An interim report published by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) earlier this year was intended to focus the DMU's attention, and it was met with an aggressive response from Apple.
The DMU has around 60 members of staff, but has no powers beyond the capabilities of the CMA. The DMU is looking into the terms of Apple's App Store and Apple and Google's dominance over mobile ecosystems.
The chair of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee said that if the tech regulator legislation was not included in the Queen's Speech, it would damage the credibility of the whole enterprise. It would be a blow to the UK's ability to regulate these sectors.
The decision to drop corporate reforms and the desire to step away from state intervention in the economy are said to be the reasons why the government decided to step back from further regulating big tech.
A statement from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to the Financial Times suggested that powers to change the conduct of the most powerful tech firms and protect businesses and consumers are still on the way.
In the United States, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, and more, Apple's app store policies are being closely watched by regulators, with a clear appetite from global regulators to explore requirements.
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