UK competition and digital-markets regulation: the CMA’s digital markets and strategic market status regime, the DMCCA 2024, concurrent competition powers, and where it meets data and payments.
In short: The FCA opened a Competition Act 1998 investigation into Mastercard, Visa and PayPal in March 2026; the FCA publicly confirmed the investigation on 6 May 2026. The FCA Competition Act investigation covers all three under Chapter I, and Mastercard and Visa under Chapter II for suspected abuse of dominance, over how Mastercard and…
The CMA’s coordinated push against fake and misleading consumer reviews lands the new Part 3 direct enforcement powers in the DMCCA 2024 on the consumer reviews supply chain. Five cases opened on 27 March 2026 reach across that supply chain at the same time and signal that consumer review compliance is now a discrete deal due diligence item.
CityFibre’s intervention in the CMA’s nexfibre/Substantial inquiry turns on local market definition. Why that question shapes Phase 2 risk and the altnet consolidation pipeline.
In short: The CMA has accepted the first voluntary commitments under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, from Apple and Google in respect of aspects of their UK mobile platforms. The commitments cover app review, app ranking, data use and iOS interoperability. They are legally binding and signal how the new digital markets…
In short: The CMA opened its invitation to comment on the £2 billion nexfibre/Substantial transaction on 23 April 2026. The case is in pre-notification; the statutory 40-working-day Phase 1 clock has not started. The deal is publicly targeted at Q3 2026 completion; that timeline carries real Phase 2 risk, and mandatory NSI Act 2021 notification…
Quick answer. Gamma Communications confirmed preliminary takeover talks on 7 April 2026, opening an offer period under the City Code and putting the GBP 645.8 million channel-led UCaaS and SIP trunking provider in play. This reaches Gamma’s 3,000-plus channel partners, competing operators, and PE investors using the process as a sector valuation benchmark, with a…