Apple has raised concerns over Britain’s plans to increase competition in the mobile operating system market, saying the measures could negatively impact users and developers. The warning follows a proposal from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is considering designating Apple and Google with strategic market status to impose behavioral rules and improve app distribution practices. Apple argued that such steps would compromise privacy, weaken security protections, and reduce incentives for innovation. “We’re concerned these EU-style rules the UK is advancing are bad for users and bad for developers,” an Apple spokesperson said. The company further added, “This approach undermines the privacy and security protections our users have come to expect, hampers our ability to innovate, and forces us to give away our technology for free to foreign competitors.”
The CMA has suggested reforms in areas such as interoperability, which would require Apple to make its systems more compatible with third-party apps, and steering, which would allow developers to direct consumers to make purchases outside of Apple’s App Store. Apple said such changes could expose users to scams and limit its ability to invest in new technologies. It also questioned the regulator’s reliance on limited feedback and survey data. Responding to Apple’s claims, a CMA spokesperson said Britain’s approach differs from the European Union’s model, adding, “Driving greater competition on mobile platforms need not undermine privacy, security or intellectual property.” The regulator is expected to issue its final decision in October 2025.
