Britain on Wednesday moved to loosen the grip of Apple and Google in smartphones by designating them as having "strategic market status", giving it the power to demand specific changes to boost competition.

However, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center’s annual report, scammers stole a record $16.6 billion in 2024. More than a quarter million complaints report money lost to a scam, with an average loss of more than $19,000.

Apple has pulled the controversial dating safety apps Tea and TeaOnHer from the App Store over violations of its content moderation and privacy rules, following a flood of user complaints and reports of minors’ data being exposed.

The UK’s CMA has labeled Apple and Google as having “strategic market status,” giving it powers to introduce rules that encourage fair competition.