Apple said new UK App Store rules would give regulators a "highly intrusive" role dictating how it runs its business, reports Reuters. Apple submitted feedback to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority as it considers forcing Apple to change its App Store rules around steering.
The CMA wants Apple to let developers link to payment options outside of the App Store, which the CMA says will cut fees and boost competition. Developers in the UK are not currently able to direct customers outside of the App Store, even though that's allowed with the current U.S. App Store rules and the EU App Store rules.
UK regulators said Apple can charge developers a fee, but it must be fair and reasonable, and below existing App Store commissions, so developers can pass savings to customers or reinvest them in innovation.
According to Apple, the CMA's proposed rules would undermine innovation and investment, and would amount to price regulation because of the restriction on fees. Apple claims there is no evidence that allowing developers to direct users to purchase options outside the App Store would result in savings for customers. Apple said the App Store facilitated over £46.5 billion in UK billings and sales in 2025, and commissions accounted for less than 3.5 percent of the total.
The CMA denied that its proposal is price regulation. "Our consultation proposes principles to ensure that the fees Apple and Google charge for steering are fair and reasonable, not to directly set prices," a CMA spokesperson told Reuters.
The CMA is assessing feedback before making a final decision on the proposal. The changes are also applicable to Google, as both Apple and Google were designated with strategic market status (SMS) in the UK last year. Under the designation, the CMA can impose requirements meant to open up the platforms to greater competition.
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