UK Regulator Proposes Easing Apple, Google App Store Rules

The UK Competition and Markets Authority wants app developers to be free to route users toward payment methods outside Apple's App Store and Google Play, a move that would strike at the commission structures underpinning both companies' mobile ecosystems. The proposal, published Tuesday, targets the so called anti steering rules that Apple bans outright and Google restricts, and it comes with a pointed condition: any fee the platforms charge for permitting that steering must be lower than existing app store commissions.

At a Glance

• The CMA proposes letting UK developers direct users to payment options outside Apple and Google's app stores.
• Any steering fees charged by the platforms would need to be fair, reasonable, and below current commission rates.
• The regulator is also weighing forced access to Apple's NFC chip for third party contactless payment apps.
• Google says it already updated Play Store terms and fee structures earlier this month to comply.
• Apple had not responded to requests for comment at the time of the announcement.

What the CMA Is Actually Proposing

The mechanics here matter more than the headline. Apple currently prohibits developers from even mentioning cheaper payment alternatives inside an app, a practice that has drawn antitrust scrutiny across multiple jurisdictions for years. Google's restrictions are less absolute but still constrain how and when developers can point users elsewhere. The CMA's proposal would dismantle both sets of barriers for the UK market specifically, forcing a structural change rather than a voluntary policy tweak.

Critically, the regulator isn't simply asking for steering to be allowed. It's setting a pricing constraint on the privilege. If Apple or Google want to charge a fee for permitting off platform steering, that fee has to sit below the commission rates currently baked into their app store terms, which have historically run as high as 30% on many transactions before graduating to lower tiers for smaller developers. The CMA's language about savings being