Apple says UK App Store plan amounts to price regulation

• Apple claims the App Store facilitated over £46.5 billion ($61.8 billion) in UK billings and sales in 2025, with commissions accounting for less than 3.5% of total transactions
• The proposed CMA measures would allow developers to steer users to external payment options and require Apple's fees for such steering to be 'fair and reasonable'
• Apple and Google were both designated with 'strategic market status' under the UK's new digital markets regime last year, subjecting them to tailored regulatory requirements

Summary

Key Development: Apple has formally objected to proposed UK regulations governing its App Store, arguing the rules constitute price regulation that threatens innovation and investment.

Main Details:

• Apple submitted its opposition to the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on July 29, following the close of a consultation period on Monday
• The iPhone maker claims proposed requirements would give the CMA a "highly intrusive" role in managing its business operations
• The CMA's measures would force Apple and Google to allow app developers to direct users to external payment options outside their respective app stores

Financial Data:

• Apple's App Store facilitated over £46.5 billion ($61.8 billion) in UK billings and sales in 2025
• Apple's commissions represent less than 3.5% of total transactions
• Apple contends there's no evidence that changing its payment model would reduce consumer prices

Regulatory Context:

This consultation is part of Britain's new digital markets regime, which grants the CMA authority to impose tailored requirements on companies with "strategic market status." Both Apple and Google were designated under this regime in 2024.

Opposition View:

The Coalition for App Fairness, represented by Gene Burrus, countered Apple's arguments, stating the company leverages its position as a "dominant platform gatekeeper" to maintain unfair competitive advantages that create barriers for developers.

Market Implications:

The outcome could significantly reshape app store economics in the UK, potentially establishing precedent for other markets examining similar anticompetitive concerns regarding platform gatekeepers in the digital economy.