United Kingdom, Oct. 23 -- Google has sharply criticised the UK competition watchdog's decision to designate its Android and Chrome ecosystems with "strategic market status" (SMS), calling the move "disappointing, disproportionate, and unwarranted".

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed this week that both Google and Apple will now face tighter regulatory scrutiny under the UK's Digital Markets Competition Regime, which grants the regulator new powers to rein in the dominance of Big Tech platforms.

The CMA argued that Android, the Google Play Store, and the Chrome browser form part of a mobile platform that gives the company entrenched market power in smartphones and tablets.

In response, Google defended its open-source...