Apple formally objected to proposed UK App Store rules on July 29, warning that the changes would grant the Competition and Markets Authority unreasonable control over its operations.
The plans would require Apple to let developers steer users toward cheaper payment options outside the storefront.
The CMA wants iPhone app developers in the UK to have the same ability US developers currently have: the right to include links inside their apps pointing users toward lower-cost payment pages on the web.
Under the proposal, Apple could still collect a fee when a user follows one of those links, but that fee would need to fall below current App Store commission levels and meet a standard of being fair and reasonable.
The practical effect, if the rules land as written, is that app prices in the UK could drop for some subscriptions and digital purchases.
What Apple Argued in Its Submission
Apple told the CMA there is no evidence that allowing developers to steer users toward external payment options would translate into savings for customers.
The company also raised safety concerns, describing its own payment infrastructure as a trusted environment that protects users.
In its filing, Apple cited the scale of UK App Store commerce as context, noting the platform facilitated over £46.5 billion in UK billings and sales during 2025, with commissions representing less than 3.5 percent of that figure.
The CMA pushed back directly. A spokesperson told Reuters the proposal does not set prices but instead establishes principles requiring that whatever fee Apple charges for steering be fair and reasonable.
The regulator drew a clear line between imposing a specific price and capping a fee at a level that allows meaningful savings to reach users.
Why the UK Approach Was Built Differently
Both Apple and Google were designated with “strategic market status” in the UK last October following a CMA finding that the two companies effectively control mobile platforms as a duopoly.
That designation gave the CMA new authority to impose targeted remedies. Regulators in both the US and EU have already moved against Apple’s App Store practices, and in each case Apple faced accusations of complying in ways that stripped developers of any real benefit.
Steering fees set close to standard commission rates and warning screens shown to users who tapped external payment links were among the tactics critics flagged in those markets.
Under the proposal, Apple wouldn’t be able to offset external payment links by charging comparable fees. The CMA wants steering fees capped below App Store commissions so developers still have a financial reason to use third-party payment systems. The final regulations will determine how effective that approach is.
Apple said it will continue pressing its case with the CMA. The company argues that allowing external payment options would weaken user safety and hurt innovation, a position regulators in multiple jurisdictions, including the US after the Apple-Epic Games case, have repeatedly rejected. The CMA is reviewing feedback before issuing its final decision.
