The CMA wants Apple to let developers link to payment options outside of the App Store, which the CMA says will cut fees and boost competition.
What happened
The CMA wants Apple to let developers link to payment options outside of the App Store, which the CMA says will cut fees and boost competition. Developers in the UK are not currently able to direct customers outside of the App Store, even though that's allowed with the current U. S. App Store rules and the EU App Store rules. This is still a developing thread, so the useful part is knowing which source signals are hardening and which ones still need caution. In software, the upgrades worth caring about are the ones that make workflows cleaner, reduce mistakes, and remove the need for extra tools.
Practical impact for readers
UK regulators said Apple can charge developers a fee, but it must be fair and reasonable, and below existing App Store commissions, so developers can pass savings to customers or reinvest them in innovation. In software, the upgrades worth caring about are the ones that make workflows cleaner, reduce mistakes, and remove the need for extra tools. The people who feel the value first are often operators, editors, creators, and teams stitching multiple apps into one daily workflow.
Details worth verifying
According to Apple, the CMA's proposed rules would undermine innovation and investment, and would amount to price regulation because of the restriction on fees. Apple claims there is no evidence that allowing developers to direct users to purchase options outside the App Store would result in savings for customers. Apple said the App Store facilitated over £46. 5 billion in UK billings and sales in 2025, and commissions accounted for less than 3. 5 percent of the total.
Who should act or wait
The CMA denied that its proposal is price regulation. "Our consultation proposes principles to ensure that the fees Apple and Google charge for steering are fair and reasonable, not to directly set prices," a CMA spokesperson told Reuters . The next step is to see whether the current signals harden into a durable change or fade as a short-lived experiment. That is why the useful reading move is not to stop at the headline, but to compare the promise, the workflow change, and the likely cost before deciding anything.
What is still unclear
The CMA is assessing feedback before making a final decision on the proposal. The changes are also applicable to Google, as both Apple and Google were designated with strategic market status (SMS) in the UK last year. Under the designation, the CMA can impose requirements meant to open up the platforms to greater competition. That is why the useful reading move is not to stop at the headline, but to compare the promise, the workflow change, and the likely cost before deciding anything.
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