Apple Tells UK Regulator App Store Proposals Constitute Price Regulation

Apple has pushed back against the UK Competition and Markets Authority's proposed App Store steering requirements, telling the regulator in a formal filing that the measures would amount to price regulation and give the CMA a "highly intrusive" role in managing its business, according to a Reuters report. The company argues the proposed requirements go beyond promoting competition and would restrict the products and services for which Apple can charge a commission.



The CMA's proposals, part of its new digital markets regime, would require Apple and Google to allow app developers to direct users to alternative payment options outside their stores while requiring any fees charged for that steering to be fair and reasonable. The measures were first announced in late June, and the consultation closed on July 27. A CMA spokesperson rejected Apple's characterization, saying the proposals are intended to ensure steering fees are fair and reasonable, not to directly set prices.


In its submission, Apple said the App Store facilitated more than £46.5 billion ($61.8 billion) in UK billings and sales in 2025, with commissions accounting for less than 3.5% of the total. The company also argued there is no evidence that changing its payment model would lower prices for consumers.

The consultation is part of Britain's new digital markets regime, which gives the CMA powers to impose tailored requirements on companies designated as having "strategic market status," a designation Apple and Google received in October 2025. Apple has already agreed to a series of commitments with the CMA to improve App Store rankings and developer access, but the latest proposals would require the company to let developers steer users to alternative payment options while ensuring any related fees are fair and reasonable.

The CMA is now assessing feedback before making a final decision. The watchdog expects steering fees to be lower than current App Store commissions, with any savings passed on to consumers or reinvested by developers. Gene Burrus, global policy counsel for the Coalition for App Fairness, said Apple's arguments overlook the barriers developers face and that Apple uses its dominant platform position to give itself unfair competitive advantages.

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