Apple 'Playing Hard-Ball' in Appeal Against UK's Investigation Into Platform Restrictions

Apple has filed an appeal against an investigation by the UK's competition authority into the company's dominance of mobile browsers and restrictions on cloud gaming (via Reuters).

app store blue banner uk fixed
In November, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a market investigation reference into Apple and Google's cloud gaming and mobile browser restrictions. The CMA has examined Apple and Google's "effective duopoly" that allows the companies to "exercise a stranglehold over these markets" for almost a year.

In a notice filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal earlier this week, lawyers representing Apple said that the CMA's investigation should be reviewed and quashed, claiming that the regulator had missed timing requirements. The investigation was required to end within 18 months with specific deadlines and Apple believes this timeline has not been correctly adhered to, providing grounds for it to be reevaluated entirely.

As noted by tech regulation expert Zach Meyers, "Apple's complaints are purely about procedural niceties" and this "suggests that Apple wants to play hard-ball." App developer and an intellectual property activist Florian Mueller believes that "this appeal could go either way." If Apple wins, the CMA may simply wait for the UK's new digital competition bill to enter Parliament next month, which could provide even greater oversight and far-reaching regulatory powers.

The CMA responded to Apple's appeal insisting that it would defend its position and continue the investigation in line with the statutory timetable. A statement from the CMA added "We opened this investigation to make sure that UK consumers get a better choice of mobile web services and that UK developers can invest in innovative mobile content and services."

The CMA's investigation into Apple uses high-level powers to request extensive information from Apple to draw conclusions and implement legally binding remedies, which could include orders that require Apple to make material changes to its practices. A preliminary hearing on Apple's appeal will be held on Tuesday, 24 January.

Apple's ecosystem is increasingly coming under intense scrutiny by governments around the world, including in the United States, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, and more, with a clear appetite from global regulators to explore big tech's stances on issues like App Store policies, app sideloading, and interoperability.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

WWDC25 Live Coverage Feature 1

WWDC 2025 Apple Event Live Keynote Coverage: iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and More

Monday June 9, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today with the traditional keynote kicking things off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors is on hand for the event and we'll be sharing details and our thoughts throughout the day. We're expecting to see a number of software-related announcements led by a design revamp across Apple's platforms that will also see the numbering of all of...
maxresdefault

Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2025 in 9 Minutes

Monday June 9, 2025 5:21 pm PDT by
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
liquid glass

Apple Announces All-New 'Liquid Glass' Software Redesign Across iOS 26 and More

Monday June 9, 2025 10:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a complete redesign of all of its major software platforms called "Liquid Glass." Announced simultaneously for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and CarPlay, Liquid Glass forms a new universal design language for the first time. At its WWDC 2025 keynote address, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi said "Apple Silicon has become dramatically more powerful...
iPadOS 26 Apple Newsroom

Apple Says iPadOS 26 is Compatible With These iPad Models

Monday June 9, 2025 11:22 am PDT by
Apple today announced that iPadOS 26 will be compatible with the iPad models listed below. iPadOS 26 features a new Liquid Glass design, a menu bar, improved app windowing, and more. iPadOS 26 supports the following iPad models:iPad Pro (M4) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later) iPad Air (M2 and later) iPad Air (3rd generation and...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Says These 13 Vehicle Brands Will Soon Offer iPhone Car Keys

Monday June 9, 2025 2:38 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote today, Apple said that 13...
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 hero 250609

Apple Announces iOS 26 With 'Liquid Glass' Design, Live Translation, Overhauled Phone App, and More

Monday June 9, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple at WWDC announced iOS 26, introducing a comprehensive visual redesign built around its new "Liquid Glass" concept, alongside expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities, updates to core communication apps, and more. Liquid Glass is a translucent material that reflects and refracts surroundings to create dynamic, responsive interface elements, according to Apple. The new design language...

Top Rated Comments

5232152 Avatar
31 months ago
Don't create a monopoly and you will be fine as long as they insist on that. People defending Apple by saying "yOu CaN jUsT uSe AnDrOiD" does not understand that a monopoly is not about having other options.
It is about a player eating into the free market by being so big (either by choice or not). It, therefore, has to take on a more considerable responsibility that goes outside regular business expectations/requirements.

Just look at Google. When your company name becomes a verb for "Searching online", you are getting to that point. Apple is getting there too.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sheepish-Lord Avatar
31 months ago

"yOu CaN jUsT uSe AnDrOiD"
When did people start typing like this? I see it a lot now on social media and it’s absolutely ridiculous.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
strongy Avatar
31 months ago

Don't create a monopoly and you will be fine as long as they insist on that. People defending Apple by saying "yOu CaN jUsT uSe AnDrOiD" does not understand that a monopoly is not about having other options.
It is about a player eating into the free market by being so big (either by choice or not). It, therefore, has to take on a more considerable responsibility that goes outside regular business expectations/requirements.

Just look at Google. When your company name becomes a verb for "Searching online", you are getting to that point. Apple is getting there too.
we all know courts have already ruled Apple is not a monopoly
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ksec Avatar
31 months ago
[HR][/HR]

Apple 'Playing Hard-Ball' in Appeal Against UK's Investigation Into Platform Restrictions ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/01/22/apple-appeals-uk-platform-investigation/')
This is the right moment! Pull out of UK. /S
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danfango Avatar
31 months ago
I fully expect Apple to comply with this.

I also fully expect them to publish the likely outcome which is 99% of people don't give a crap.

I expect the 1% of people left to get burned by browsers with privacy problems, abusive subscription policies and crapware.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SoldOnApple Avatar
31 months ago
Just let me install retro game emulators please Apple, I'm sick of jumping through hoops to load them via developer account.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)