Apple, Google offer changes to app stores in response to UK digital markets law; consultation underway

Apple and Google have announced plans to introduce changes aimed at improving fairness and transparency in their app stores, the UK competition watchdog said Tuesday, calling them “important first steps” under new regulations targeting major technology firms. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) granted Apple and Google “strategic market status” last year, a designation that allows the regulator to impose stricter rules on their mobile platforms. Under the new proposals, both companies have submitted commitments addressing app data collection, the review and ranking of apps, and broader access to their mobile operating systems. The measures are designed to prevent the tech giants from giving preferential treatment to their own apps and to ensure developers receive fairer terms, including better tools to compete with services like Apple’s digital wallet. “These are important first steps while we continue to work on a broad range of additional measures to improve Apple and Google’s app store services in the UK,” said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell. The commitments represent the first formal changes proposed by the US tech firms in response to the UK’s digital markets regulation, which came into force last year. The framework is modeled on the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which carries the possibility of significant financial penalties for non-compliance.

An Apple spokesperson said the changes would “allow Apple to continue advancing important privacy and security innovations for users while providing new opportunities for developers.” In October, the CMA found that Apple and Google operate an “effective duopoly,” with roughly 90–100 percent of UK mobile services running on their platforms. A Google spokesperson emphasized that its Play Store practices are “fair, objective, and transparent,” and added, “We welcome the opportunity to resolve the CMA’s concerns collaboratively.” The new measures are expected to come into effect in April, pending the outcome of a market consultation.