UK watchdog plans to loosen app-store rules for Apple and Google

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened a consultation that could loosen app-store rules for Apple and Google, with developers potentially allowed to steer users to outside payment options and Apple possibly required to open access to its NFC technology.

The proposal is the latest step in the regulator’s use of its digital markets powers against the two companies, which were already designated with strategic market status in the UK mobile market. That designation gives the CMA stronger powers to impose conduct rules on major platform operators.

The consultation is aimed at increasing competition in the app economy and giving consumers and developers more choice in how apps are sold and paid for. It also keeps alive a dispute that has long centered on the commissions and restrictions attached to mobile app stores.

What the CMA is considering

One of the main questions is whether app developers should be allowed to direct customers to alternative payment methods outside the app store. That would matter most for subscription businesses and other apps that rely heavily on digital purchases.

The CMA is also weighing whether any fees for steering users away from Apple’s or Google’s payment systems should still be allowed. If they are, the regulator will have to decide whether those fees need to be limited or justified through evidence.

A second issue under consideration is whether Apple should be required to open access to its NFC technology. That could make third-party contactless payment services more viable inside iPhone apps.

Coverage around the consultation says Apple and Google currently charge commissions of up to 30% on some in-app purchases. The regulator’s move could therefore affect the economics of app sales, in-app subscriptions and digital goods transactions across the UK market.

How the dispute developed

The new consultation did not come out of nowhere. In October 2025, the CMA designated Apple and Google with strategic market status in the UK mobile market, which enabled the regulator to take a more direct approach.

By February 2026, Apple and Google had already made earlier UK commitments on fair treatment of third-party apps. But the question of app-store commissions remained unresolved, and it has now returned to the front of the regulator’s agenda.

The current proposal follows a consultation launched on June 30, 2026, according to Financial Times reporting. The Guardian later reported the same day that the CMA was also considering NFC access for Apple, broadening the scope of the review beyond payment steering alone.

Who is affected

The biggest immediate impact would fall on developers that sell subscriptions or other digital goods inside apps. If users can be sent to outside payment options, those businesses may have more flexibility over pricing and billing.

App developers and their trade groups have long argued that platform fees and steering restrictions raise costs and limit competition. The Coalition for App Fairness said any new fees should be justified with transparent evidence from Apple and Google.

Spotify and Match Group are among the companies often associated with this broader dispute, which has become a recurring flashpoint in policy debates over mobile platforms. The CMA’s move suggests the UK is still willing to test how far it can go under its newer digital markets framework.

Consumers could also see more payment choice if the proposals are adopted. The regulator says the purpose is to introduce competitive pressure in a market it believes does not have enough of it.

Apple and Google push back

Google said it has already made changes that allow steering and reduce some fees. Its position is that it has already moved on some of the issues the regulator is examining.

Apple argued that directing users away from its payment infrastructure would weaken security and parental controls. The company said such changes could open the door to scams, bait-and-switch tactics and circumvention of parental controls.

Those objections are likely to be central to the consultation. They also highlight the broader tension between platform control and regulatory efforts to open up mobile ecosystems.

What happens next

The CMA has not set final rules. It is consulting now and will assess the evidence before deciding whether to impose formal requirements on Apple and Google.

Will Hayter, the CMA executive director for digital markets, said the regulator wants to give apps and users more choice and create competitive pressure in a market that lacks it. That suggests the agency sees the consultation as part of a wider effort to reshape how mobile platforms operate.

The regulator will also decide later whether to make any steering fees subject to limits or evidentiary tests. The NFC question could likewise become a separate battleground if the CMA concludes that Apple must widen access.

For now, the process is open and the final outcome is unresolved. Apple and Google are expected to keep pressing their arguments on security, fairness and fee structure while the consultation runs.