Apple could be holding back innovation in smartphone browsers, according to a British regulatory report, which recommended that Apple's and Google's duopoly in mobile ecosystems should be investigated with its new powers.

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority said its experts recommended investigating Apple and Google’s dominance in smartphones under the country’s new digital competition rules, alleging the tech giants can manipulate users into choosing their own apps and services over rivals’.

Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. risk a formal UK investigation over their dominance of web browsers on mobile phones, according to a provisional decision targeting the tech giants’ stranglehold on mobile operating systems.