**Epic Games Critiques UK Digital Markets Regulation**
Epic Games has voiced its disappointment regarding the recent Digital Markets regulation introduced by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The firm contends that the new guidelines do not fulfill expectations and fail to properly tackle the monopolistic behavior of leading tech giants such as Apple and Google.
### What is Digital Markets Regulation?
The UK’s CMA has recently completed an extensive investigation and suggested that Apple and Google be classified as having “strategic market status” under the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Act. This classification subjects these companies to specific regulatory responsibilities, which include:
– Allowing app developers to direct users to alternative payment options.
– Enhancing transparency in app store rankings.
– Submitting to ongoing oversight from the CMA for a duration of up to five years.
The CMA is also set to explore whether Apple should allow alternative app stores on iOS and if users should have the capability to sideload apps.
### Epic Games’ Response
In a blog entry, Epic Games critiqued the CMA’s announcement, emphasizing that it obstructs their capacity to launch the Epic Games Store on iOS in the UK and creates uncertainty about the return of Fortnite to the platform. The firm expressed disappointment that the CMA has overlooked a chance to encourage competition in what they consider a monopolized market dominated by the App Store and Google Play Store.
Epic Games indicated that four years after the CMA acknowledged the monopolistic tendencies of these platforms, minimal progress has been made to support competing app stores. They unfavorably contrasted the UK’s regulatory stance with recent actions in Brazil and Japan, which they assert will aid in the return of Fortnite and the debut of the Epic Games Store.
The blog post also condemned the CMA’s ambiguous statements regarding anti-steering measures, which aim to enable developers to steer customers towards payment alternatives outside apps. Epic Games warned that without robust actions against fees and discriminatory practices enforced by Apple and Google, the prospects for real market competition remain dismal.
### Conclusion
Epic Games has called upon the CMA to rethink its regulatory framework, cautioning that without substantial amendments, the firm may face difficulties in reintroducing Fortnite to iOS in the UK. The ongoing discussion underscores the challenges of regulating powerful tech platforms and the necessity for effective strategies to guarantee competition and consumer options in the digital marketplace.
