UK Regulators Push Apple to Open App Store Access
Apple Faces Pressure to Open iPhone App Market in the UK
Apple could soon be required to permit rival app stores on iPhones in the United Kingdom, following a new ruling by the country’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The move challenges Apple’s long-standing “closed ecosystem”, which restricts users to downloading apps solely through its official App Store.
Both Apple and Google have been formally designated by the CMA as holding “strategic market status” (SMS)—a classification acknowledging their dominant control over mobile platforms. This designation grants the regulator greater authority to impose conduct requirements aimed at promoting competition.
The ruling has provoked strong reactions from the tech giants. Apple warned that such measures could “weaken user privacy” and cause “delayed access to new features,” while Google criticized the decision as “disproportionate and unwarranted.”
Despite the backlash, the CMA emphasized that the move was not an accusation of wrongdoing but rather a step to ensure fair competition.
“The app economy contributes about 1.5% of the UK’s GDP and supports roughly 400,000 jobs,” said Will Hayter, CMA’s executive director for digital markets. “It’s vital these markets operate effectively for both businesses and consumers.”
With around 90–100% of UK mobile devices running on Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android, the CMA has described the two companies as maintaining an effective duopoly. Research from Uswitch shows that 48.5% of UK smartphone users own iPhones, while most of the remainder use Android devices.
The regulator is expected to outline specific remedies soon. Possible measures include allowing users to switch more easily between platforms, ensuring fair and transparent app rankings, and potentially requiring Apple to permit third-party app stores or direct app downloads from developers’ websites.
The decision mirrors a similar move by the European Union, which earlier fined Apple for anti-competitive behavior. If enforced, the UK ruling could mark one of the most significant shifts in Apple’s business model since the launch of the App Store in 2008.