UK competition regulator consults on new app payment rules for Apple and Google
The Facts
- The Competition and Markets Authority has launched a consultation on proposed new conduct requirements for Apple and Google under the UK's digital markets regime.
- The proposed rules would allow app developers in the UK to steer users to payment options outside Apple and Google's app stores.
- According to the CMA, Apple currently bans steering in the UK while Google restricts it.
- The CMA says any fees Apple and Google charge for allowing steering should be fair and reasonable and lower than current app store commissions.
- The regulator says the proposed changes are meant to improve competition and could lower costs for developers, with savings potentially passed to consumers or reinvested in innovation.
- The consultation also includes further work on Apple's NFC access on iOS, with the CMA considering whether to require broader access for rival payment services.
- The proposals are not final; the CMA is gathering responses before deciding later this year whether to impose new requirements.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Developers should not be forced to accept payment terms set solely by app-store gatekeepers, especially if steering fees remain high enough to blunt real competition.
- They split on
- Whether the story is about curbing concentrated platform power that shifts costs onto smaller businesses and consumers, or about enforcing clear market rules against private platform control.
Analytical frames for this storyTap to explore
Context
What is 'steering' in this case?
Here, steering means letting app developers direct or communicate with users about paying outside Apple and Google's app stores, such as on a website or another off-platform option gov.uk,Reuters.
Why does the CMA say this matters to consumers and developers?
The CMA says current restrictions can force developers to use platform payment systems and pay platform-set fees. It argues that allowing more payment choice could reduce developers' costs and lead to lower prices for consumers or more investment in products and innovation gov.uk,Independent,Euronews English.
What happens next?
The CMA is consulting on the proposals and collecting evidence, including on Apple's NFC access on iOS. It says responses will inform whether it imposes formal requirements later this year Investing.com,Morningstar,gov.uk.
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