Apple Objects to Britain’s Push for Open App Stores

Apple has voiced strong concerns over the new rules now being considered by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), noting they could undermine user privacy and force open access to its technology.

According to BBC News, Apple has described the UK’s plan as resembling EU style regulation that could impede its ability to deliver new features to users in a timely way.

The CMA is exploring the designation of both Apple and Google as entities with strategic market status. That label would grant the authority power to enforce new rules across app distribution platforms. Those include mandating fairer app review processes, permitting developers to guide users to make purchases outside official app stores.

The regulator argues the changes will level the playing field in a mobile market dominated almost entirely by Apple and Google. Apple firmly rejects this position. The company argues that giving equal footing to external payment systems could expose users to scams and hurt the developer ecosystem.

The CMA pushed back, stressing that the approach differs from the EU model and that the UK’s design is meant to be more flexible and proportionate. It insists that defending competition does not have to erode privacy security or intellectual property protections.

If the CMA goes forward with strategic market status for Apple and Google, each company could face serious penalties, up to 10% of global revenue, for failing to follow the new rules. The status could remain in place for up to five years.

This regulatory push draws a sharp contrast between the UK’s intentions and the outcomes of the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which critics argue slowed feature rollout across the EU. Apple has already delayed or withheld features such as iPhone mirroring and Apple Intelligence in some European regions.