Google and Apple have 'vice-like grip' over phones in Britain, says watchdog 

With government backing, the regulator has stepped up scrutiny of the power wielded by tech groups

The Competition and Markets Authority said it had provisionally found that Apple and Google were able to leverage their market power to create largely self-contained ecosystems.

Google and Apple hold a "vice-like grip" over how people use mobile phones, stripping any meaningful choice from the system and potentially hiking costs, Britain's competition regulator has said. 

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had provisionally found that the two groups were able to leverage their market power to create largely self-contained ecosystems.