The UK’s competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Apple's and Google’s mobile platforms, just days after the government forced out its chair as part of a push to cut the regulatory burden on business.

Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. were hit with UK antitrust investigations over concerns their dominance in mobile services is distorting the market and putting up barriers to entry for competitors.

Google's Android and Apple's iOS are facing fresh scrutiny from Britain's competition watchdog, which announced investigations Thursday targeting the two tech giants' mobile phone ecosystems under new powers to crack down on digital market abuses.