UK Forces Apple and Google to Open Up App Stores in Landmark Competition Ruling

Britain Takes on Big Tech's App Store Duopoly

The UK's competition regulator has secured landmark commitments from Apple and Google to overhaul how their app stores treat developers, marking the first significant action under the country's new digital markets competition regime.

The Competition and Markets Authority announced on Tuesday that both tech giants have agreed to review and rank apps in a fair, objective, and transparent manner, without discriminating against apps that compete with their own services. The commitments follow the CMA's designation of both companies with "strategic market status" in October 2025.

What Changes Are Coming

Under the new rules, both companies must ensure their app review processes are no longer opaque or inconsistent. Previous CMA investigations found developers described Apple's review process as "arbitrary" and "Kafkaesque," with apps rejected without adequate explanation.

Apple has additionally agreed to create clearer pathways for developers to request access to system-level features within iOS and iPadOS, potentially opening competition in areas such as digital wallets, payments, and live translation services. Both companies have also committed to safeguarding developer data collected during the app review process.

Economic Significance

The stakes are considerable. The UK app economy generates approximately one and a half percent of the country's GDP and supports around four hundred thousand jobs, making it Europe's largest app economy by revenue and developer count. Nearly all smartphones in Britain run either Apple's iOS or Google's Android, with the CMA finding the two companies operate an "effective duopoly" controlling over ninety percent of UK mobile devices.

A Different Approach to the EU

Unlike the European Union's Digital Markets Act, which imposes fixed obligations on designated gatekeepers, the UK framework allows for bespoke, company-specific requirements tailored to each platform. Subject to a public consultation closing on the third of March, the commitments are set to take effect from the first of April 2026.

The CMA has signalled this is just the beginning, with separate consultations already underway on Google's search services and a roadmap of potential future interventions covering alternative payment methods, browser competition, and access to rival app stores.