The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has mined promises from Apple and Google about their App Stores, in reality just bringing the same features already in place in Europe.
While the UK is no longer part of the European Union, its regulators are slowly copying the EU’s Big Tech initiatives. In October 2025, for example, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) identified Apple and Google as having “strategic market status”.
This is synonymous with the term “gatekeeper” of the EU, and like the European Commission, the UK’s CMA has given itself the right to regulate Apple and Google. According to ReutersThe CMA has announced that both firms will now comply with its requirements for fairer app stores.
Specifically, the CMA says that Apple and Google will now review submitted applications in a manner described as fair, objective and transparent. Similar to the EU and more recently the US, developers will be able to request access to iOS features such as NFC technology for digital wallets.
Google responded that it believed its practices were already compliant, but welcomed the CMA’s comments.
Apple similarly shrugged, saying these commitments to the CMA “enable Apple to continue to advance important privacy and security innovations for users and great opportunities for developers.”
The company added that it faces “tough competition in every market we operate in, and we work tirelessly to create the best products, services and user experience.”
Earlier, the UK’s CMA claimed that Apple was stifling competition between iPhone browsers. However, it has so far chosen not to create regulations to force any changes.