UK could soon require Apple to make the same concessions that already exist in the EU. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering mandating alternative payment systems and open NFC access, thus aligning itself with the positions of the Digital Markets Act. These are still just proposals, but the direction is clearly discernible.
Back in February 2026, Apple and Google committed to greater fairness in the UK app market before the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) – primarily regarding transparency, which both companies already implemented in the EU. Now, according to a Reuters report, the authority is going significantly further and proposing to adopt a substantial portion of EU regulations. Essentially, this aims to grant developers more freedom regarding payments and the promotion of alternatives to the App Store.
What the CMA demands of Apple
Specifically, the agency wants to lift two key restrictions. First, developers should be allowed to direct their customers to payment options outside the App Store – the so-called steering, which Apple currently severely restricts. Second, the CMA is considering forcing Apple to open up the NFC interface, which currently powers contactless payments via Apple Pay. This would allow developers to offer their own payment solutions that would directly compete with Apple Wallet.
The agency is setting strict limits on the scope of any potential fees. While Apple and Google are likely to be compensated for their services, according to CMA Director Will Hayter, all fees must be justified through a robust, cost- and value-based process. The agency is explicitly not considering a flat fee equivalent to the previous commissions.
Lower fees with controversial effects
The CMA assumes that such fees should be lower than current App Store commissions and that the savings will either be passed on to consumers or reinvested in new development. This very point, however, is controversial. In the EU, where comparable rules already exist, existing data suggests that developers are barely passing on their lower costs to customers. A study commissioned by Apple concluded that the DMA has not yet led to noticeably lower app prices. Whether the relief for consumers hoped for by the CMA will actually materialize remains to be seen.
Apple's resistance
Apple rejects the plans, primarily citing security concerns. The company argues that if users are redirected from its own vetted payment infrastructure, they would lose the very safeguards they rely on. A spokesperson warned that the proposals could facilitate fraud, bait-and-switch tactics, and the circumvention of parental controls, while simultaneously limiting the ability to reliably verify transactions. Apple announced it would raise its concerns with the CMA. Google is pursuing a different approach and, according to its own statements, is already taking initial steps toward implementation; the agency intends to review how far the company has progressed.
Brexit - Britain on course for EU membership
These are currently only proposals from the CMA, not finalized legislation. It remains unclear how long the consultation process with Apple and Google will take. The plans are based on the "strategic market status" granted to iOS and iPadOS in October 2025, which allows the authority to intervene in both platforms in a targeted manner – effectively the UK's equivalent of the EU's gatekeeper status. Even though no one in the UK would openly discuss emulating the European Union after Brexit, that is precisely the direction this development is heading. For Apple, this means that the effects of regulatory pressure already felt in the EU could be repeated in another major market in the medium term. (Image: Shutterstock / SashaMagic)
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