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A series of iPhone 16s on display inside the Apple store at Tun Razak Exchange in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sept. 20, 2024.

Annice Lyn | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Britain’s competition regulators on Wednesday took aim at the mobile ecosystems of Apple and Google, pushing the two companies to make changes to areas like their app stores.

On Wednesday, the Competition and Markets Authority proposed designating the U.S. tech giants as having a “strategic market status” or SMS, after opening an investigation into the matter in January.

This designation is given to a large company that has “substantial and entrenched market power” and a “position of strategic significance” with respect to a digital activity in the U.K.

The CMA can force firms that are branded as having SMS to change or stop specific behaviors or practices in order to address competition concerns.

Apple and Google both took issue with the CMA’s proposals, effectively saying they would be bad for user security and consumers overall.

What has the CMA taken issue with?

Britain’s regulator focused on investigating Apple and Google’s mobile operating systems, app store and browser. One aspect of the investigation looked at whether there are barriers that may prevent other competitors from offering rival products and services on the U.S. tech giants’ mobile platforms.

Another part of the probe examined whether Apple and Google are using their position in operating systems, app distribution or browsers to favor its own apps and services.

And the final aspect of the investigation studied whether Apple and Google require developers to sign up to “unfair terms and conditions” in order to distribute their apps via the respective app stores.

The CMA on Wednesday said consumers and businesses have raised concerns about different issues across the two companies’ mobile ecosystems. But some of these include “inconsistent and unpredictable app review processes” and “inconsistent app store search rankings” that may favor the tech giants’ own apps.

The British regulator also took aim at the up to 30% commission charged by the firms on some in-app purchases and restrictions on developers telling customers about cheaper ways to pay or to subscribe outside of the app.

As part of Google and Apple’s review process to allow apps on to their app stores, developers raised concerns that the tech companies could have access to commercially sensitive data of their competitors, the CMA said.

Google’s Android operating system commands just over 61% market share in the U.K., while Apple’s iOS has just over a 38%, according to Kantar data. Google runs the Google Play store and Chrome browser, and Apple has its App Store and Safari browser.

What changes does the CMA want?

The CMA has laid out immediate changes that it wants to see, alongside some longer-term steps. The regulator said that it wants Apple to review apps for distribution in a “fair, objective and transparent manner.” This could include remedies such as Apple explaining delays or rejections and creating an avenue for businesses to raise concerns about the process.

Apple could also be made to publish a methodology for how it ranks apps in the App Store. The CMA has laid out similar remedies for Google.

The regulator is looking at how Apple and Google can make it easy for users to be steered by developers outside of an app to pay for services and products, thus avoiding their respective in-app purchase fee.

The CMA is also looking into ways to make it easier for users to transfer data between Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android to make switching easier.

For next year, the CMA said it is still looking at whether to require Apple to allow alternative app stores in iOS and the company’s iPad software. The regulator also said it is exploring whether to force Apple to allow users to download apps directly from a developer’s own website, a practice known as “sideloading.”

Apple and Google react

Apple said in a statement that the proposals from the U.K. “would undermine the privacy and security protections that our users have come to expect, hamper our ability to innovate, and force us to give away our technology for free to foreign competitors,”

“We will continue to engage with the regulator to make sure they fully understand these risks.”

Google’s Senior Director of Competition Oliver Bethell noted that both the Google Chrome browser and Android’s operating system are built on open-source code.

“These offerings enable great choice, security and innovation for users. That’s why today’s announcement is both disappointing and unwarranted,” Bethell said.

The Google executive highlighted ways in which Android has helped British developers and the economy.

“It is therefore crucial that any new regulation is evidence-based, proportionate and does not become a roadblock to growth in the U.K We remain committed to constructive engagement with the CMA for the duration of this process,” Bethell said.

U.S. tech giants face European scrutiny

Apple and Google’s regulatory problems on the continent of Europe continue to deepen.

In April, European Union regulators hit Apple with a 500 million euro ($587 million) fine for breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA) — a landmark law aimed at tackling tech competition issues.

Apple has been forced to make a number of changes to the way it operates in the EU this year. These include allowing developers to tell their users about cheaper alternatives and bypass Apple’s in-app payment system.

However, some of the changes have yet to satisfy the EU regulators. Apple in June revealed a complex system of App Store fees in a bid to comply with the DMA and avoid the 500 million euro fine. Apple plans to appeal the fine.

Apple has long argued that forced regulator-led changes to its operations could lead to privacy and security issues for users and confusing business terms for developers

In March, Google parent Alphabet meanwhile was accused by the EU of failing to comply with the DMA. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said Google is treating its own search services more favorably than those of rivals. The Commission added that Google’s app store is preventing developers from steering consumer to other channels for better offers.

The search giant is also looking to fight a 4.1 billion euro fine that has stemmed from an antitrust case dating back to 2018.

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Texas Instruments stock falls 12% as CEO warns of tariff concerns

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Texas Instruments stock falls 12% as CEO warns of tariff concerns

The Texas Instruments headquarters in Dallas, Texas, US, on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024.

N. Johnson | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Texas Instruments shares plunged 12% after the automotive and industrial semiconductor supplier warned of ongoing tariff aftershocks.

The company said it expects third-quarter earnings between $1.36 and $1.60 per share, a midpoint of $1.48 per share. That fell short of an LSEG estimate of $1.50.

Texas Instruments anticipates revenues between $4.45 billion and $4.48 billion. The midpoint of $4.63 billion was slightly ahead of the $4.59 billion expected by analysts.

In an earnings call with analysts, CEO Haviv Ilan said the company is experiencing a “shallow” recovery in the automotive sector and said customers may have lingering worries over tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty.

Read more CNBC tech news

Despite the post-earnings slump, Texas Instruments posted a 16% year-over-year jump in revenue. The company reported earnings of $1.41 per share on $4.45 billion in revenue, surpassing the earnings of $1.35 per share on $4.36 billion in revenue expected by LSEG analysts.

Ilan said that some of the second-quarter strength may have come from a pull forward in demand to acquire inventory ahead of tariffs.

Net income for the company rose 15% to $1.3 billion, or $1.41 per share, from $1.13 billion, or $1.22 per share, a year ago.

WATCH: Texas Instruments shares fall more than 7% despite quarterly beat

Texas Instruments shares fall more than 7% despite quarterly beat

CNBC’s Kif Leswing contributed to this story.

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Tesla set to report second-quarter earnings after the bell

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Tesla set to report second-quarter earnings after the bell

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of SpaceX and Tesla, attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, June 16, 2023.

Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters

Tesla will report second-quarter results after the close of regular trading on Wednesday.

Here’s what Wall Street expects, according to an average of estimates compiled by LSEG:

  • Earnings per share: 43 cents
  • Revenue: $22.74 billion

Revenue in the period is expected to drop 11% from a year earlier, marking a second straight quarterly decline. In early July, Tesla reported a 14% year-over-year slide in vehicle deliveries to 384,000 for the second quarter.

Deliveries are the closest approximation of EV sales reported by Tesla but aren’t precisely defined in its shareholder communications.

Tesla’s slump this year is partly due to a backlash against the company in the U.S. and Europe, after CEO Elon Musk spent heavily to help reelect President Donald Trump, endorsed Germany’s extreme anti-immigrant AfD party, and then led the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. At DOGE, Musk helped to slash the federal workforce, roll back regulations, and eliminate USAID.

Other automakers saw their electric vehicle sales increase, eating away at Tesla’s market share during the second quarter.

General Motors’ U.S. sales of EVs rose 111% year-over-year to nearly 46,300 units in the period for an estimated market share of 16%, still far behind Tesla.

Musk’s political activism hasn’t been the only factor weighing on the brand.

Read more CNBC Tesla coverage

Tesla has put off the production of a more affordable “model 2” EV, while other automakers are now offering a greater variety of vehicles, and China-based competitors are selling affordable EVs with high-tech self-driving features as a standard rather than premium option.

Tesla shares are down about 17% for the year, the worst performance among tech’s megacaps. The Nasdaq is up more than 8% in 2025.

Musk has tried to keep fans and investors focused on Tesla’s future, which he envisions as being dominated by the company’s robotaxis, and humanoid Optimus robots. Musk sees Tesla’s robotaxis as working for their owners, making them money while they sleep. Optimus robots, he says, will be so sophisticated they can serve as factory workers or babysitters.

Tesla opened a diner and charging station in Los Angeles this week, where fans can see the Optimus robots at work on a simple task, slowly scooping popcorn. The company faces massive competition in robotics from developers including 1X Technologies, Agility Robotics, Apptronik, Boston Dynamics and Figure AI.

We went to Texas for Tesla's robotaxi launch. Here's what we saw

In June, Tesla began testing a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, which operates in a limited area with a human valet on board. The service is accessible only to select riders, generally Tesla and Musk enthusiasts.

The robotaxi rollout is seen by bulls as a positive sign for the company, but Bank of America analysts cautioned in a recent report that it would have “immaterial financial ramifications” in the near term.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, meanwhile, has pressed Tesla for information about reported incidents where the vehicles appeared to violate traffic laws. In one incident, a Tesla robotaxi scraped a parked vehicle at a pizzeria parking lot in Austin, and in another, a robotaxi veered out of its lane briefly into oncoming traffic.

In a note earlier this month, Barclays analysts said Tesla has shown “weak fundamentals” heading into its earnings report. Still, shareholders have remained excited about Tesla’s “robotaxi narrative,” wrote the analysts, who have the equivalent of a hold rating on the stock.

Wednesday’s report will be the first for Tesla since Musk officially left his role in the Trump administration and immediately preceded to publicly slam the president, mostly for the Republicans’ spending package that he endorsed.

Musk has since promised to start a new political party in the U.S. which he calls The America Party.

One retail investor submitted an anonymous question via the Say platform, which Tesla uses ahead of earnings calls, to ask, “With Elon Musk now more publicly involved in U.S. politics through the new America Party, is Tesla taking any steps to manage potential risks, whether from shifting political alliances, regulatory perception, or public opinion?”

Most questions submitted to the platform sought updates from Tesla about its robotaxi test in Austin, self-driving ambitions and its plans for a more affordable EV model.

Tesla’s automotive gross margins are also likely to be in focus, along with commentary on how the company will weather Trump’s tariffs and the end of federal tax credits for EV buyers.

Company executives will host an earnings call with analysts at 5:30 p.m. ET.

WATCH: Elon Musk can’t continue to go down this political path

Elon Musk can't continue to go down this political path, says Wedbush's Dan Ives

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Alphabet to report Q2 earnings after the bell

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Alphabet to report Q2 earnings after the bell

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

Jeff Chiu | AP

Alphabet is set to report its second-quarter earnings after the bell Wednesday.

Here’s what analysts polled by LSEG are expecting:

  • Revenue: $93.94 billion
  • Earnings per share: $2.18

Wall Street is also watching these numbers in the report:

  • YouTube advertising revenue: $9.56 billion, according to StreetAccount
  • Google Cloud revenue: $13.11 billion, according to StreetAccount
  • Traffic acquisition costs (TAC): $14.18 billion, according to StreetAccount

Alphabet is among the megacaps expected to be a major driver of earnings growth during the second-quarter earnings season. Wall Street is anticipating the search giant to report a 10.9% increase in revenue and 15% growth in earnings per share.

Shares of Alphabet haven’t moved much this year, lagging the other Magnificent Seven stocks and the S&P 500. Investors are primarily concerned about the rise of artificial intelligence chatbots, which could impact Google’s ability to remain competitive in search.

During the second quarter, the search giant rolled out a number of new AI products.

At its annual Google I/O conference in May, Google announced a new subscription tier, called “Google AI Ultra,” that offers access to the company’s “cutting edge” AI features for $249.99 per month. Google also unveiled its return to the smart glasses market with a $150 million partnership with Warby Parker — the two companies said they plan to launch a series of smart glasses as soon as next year.

Google in May also announced a venture fund to invest in AI startups. As part of the “AI Futures Fund,” eligible startups will receive Google investment, early access to AI models, and hands-on support from Google researchers, engineers and go-to-market specialists. They also get credits to use on Google Cloud.

Additionally in May, Google began testing the placement of its “AI Mode” product on its home page, directly beneath the Google search.

Earlier this month, OpenAI added Google to its list of suppliers, saying it expects to use the search company’s cloud infrastructure for its popular ChatGPT service. The announcement represented a win for Google, whose cloud unit is younger and smaller than those of Amazon and Microsoft.

Google made a splash in the AI talent wars, announcing it would bring in Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan and other top researchers at the artificial intelligence coding startup as part of a $2.4 billion deal that also includes licensing the company’s technology.

Internally, Google also made a number of personnel changes during the quarter. 

The company added the new role of chief AI architect when it elevated Koray Kavukcuoglu from his position as Google DeepMind’s chief technology officer in June.

Google also made more workforce reductions by offering buyouts to U.S.-based employees across several of its divisions, including search, ads and commerce.

Alphabet made several strides with Waymo, its self-driving car unit, during the quarter.

Waymo reached 100 million “real world, fully autonomous miles” driven on public roads, the company said last week. Waymo also announced expansions into new markets.

In June, Waymo announced plans to drive vehicles manually in New York, marking the first step toward potentially cracking the largest U.S. city. In July, the company said it will do limited testing in Philadelphia and it began offering accounts for teens ages 14 to 17, starting in Phoenix.

The company also endured some less-flattering optics during the quarter.

In June, Google’s cloud suffered significant global outages knocking down or disrupting dozens of large internet services, including OpenAI and Shopify, among others.

WATCH: Google might be in the lead in their AI capability, says Constellation’s Ray Wang

Google might be in the lead in their AI capability, says Constellation's Ray Wang

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