Overview
- The UK Competition and Markets Authority closed its consultation in late July and is now reviewing responses before deciding whether to impose company-specific rules on Apple and Google.
- Apple formally told the CMA on Wednesday, July 29 that the proposed steering requirements would amount to price regulation and would give the regulator a "highly intrusive" role in how the App Store operates.
- The CMA’s plan would let developers direct users to payment options outside app stores while requiring any platform fee for such steering to be fair and reasonable, a move the regulator says aims to boost competition and lower costs.
- Apple said the App Store handled £46.5 billion in UK billings in 2025 and that commissions made up under 3.5% of that total, and argued there is no evidence steering would cut consumer prices.
- Developers and campaigners pushed back on Apple’s filing, saying the rules would reduce gatekeeper control and that the CMA expects steering fees to be lower than current commissions with savings going to users or developers.