The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has formally designated Google and Apple with strategic market status (SMS) under the UK’s new digital markets regime – a decision immediately condemned by Google as “disappointing, disproportionate and unwarranted”.

The regulator has officially decided that the companies’ market power is so great that it needs special oversight to protect fair competition and innovation.

The designation now gives the CMA enhanced powers to oversee competition in mobile ecosystems, covering operating systems, app distribution, browsers and browser engines across smartphones and tablets.