In a new move in its examination of the largest IT companies in the world, the UK’s Ofcom said it will begin a number of probes into digital industries, including cloud computing, internet messaging, and smart gadgets.
Ofcom, which also regulates television, telecoms, and the postal service, stated that it will first examine the possibility of innovation and development being hampered by so-called hyperscale cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Alphabet’s Google Cloud. They generate nearly 81 percent of the income in the UK’s $16.85 billion public cloud infrastructure sector, according to Ofcom (roughly Rs. 8,072 crore).
The potential domination of Silicon Valley companies is still being closely watched worldwide. The Competition and Markets Authority, the antitrust watchdog in Britain, opened a separate inquiry into the Google Play Store in June due to possible anticompetitive conduct.
According to Ofcom, if the market is not functioning properly, it has options for dealing with the issue, including reporting antitrust cases to the CMA, taking enforcement action on its own, or accepting business-provided solutions. Within a year, the independent regulator promised to make a final report available to the public.
In the Calling and Messaging research, it will be examined if services from Meta Platform like WhatsApp, FaceTime from Apple, and Zoom video communications should be allowed to connect more with one another.
Examining smart gadgets entails looking into linked speakers and televisions that have the power to negotiate with publishers of entertainment and news material.
