October 8, 2025
UK Regulator Unveils Plan to Force Apple to Open App Store and Mobile Ecosystem

UK Regulator Unveils Plan to Force Apple to Open App Store and Mobile Ecosystem

Posted July 23, 2025 at 2:44pm by iClarified
The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is moving to designate Apple with "strategic market status" (SMS) for its control over mobile platforms, a proposal that would give the regulator significant new powers to impose tailored rules on the company. The move, announced today, is one of the first major actions under the country's new digital markets regime and also targets Google.

The proposal is one of the first major actions under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, which grants the CMA new regulatory powers. The agency said it has provisionally found that Apple and Google meet the legal tests for SMS, citing their "substantial and entrenched market power" and "position of strategic significance" in the mobile ecosystem.

The CMA is now consulting on these provisional designations and plans to make a final decision in October. If designated, the regulator would begin consulting on its first set of interventions starting in autumn 2025. To provide more certainty, the CMA has also published "roadmaps" outlining the potential actions it could take.


The proposed designation follows earlier probes where the CMA launched investigations into Apple's and Google's mobile ecosystems. The regulator had previously found that Apple's policies were restricting mobile browser competition. Key concerns outlined today include opaque app review processes, a 30% commission on in-app purchases, and restrictions on steering users to outside payment options.

For Apple specifically, the CMA's roadmap of possible measures will focus on ensuring fair consideration of interoperability requests from developers. This includes addressing restrictions that could limit the functionality of digital wallets from UK FinTechs or prevent connected devices like smartwatches and health-tech tools from seamlessly connecting with iPhones.

The CMA also noted that action is ongoing in other jurisdictions. In the U.S., a recent court ruling now allows developers to direct users to outside payment methods, leading to changes from companies like Spotify. In the EU, consumers can now choose from a variety of digital wallets. The regulator stated its goal is to deliver the best possible outcomes for the UK in the most proportionate way.

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UK Regulator Unveils Plan to Force Apple to Open App Store and Mobile Ecosystem
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