UK Forces Apple, Google to Open Their Ecosystems to Fair Competition
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) disclosed Tuesday that both tech giants pledged reforms targeting app review transparency and search ranking fairness for third-party developers locked out of their platforms.
The regulatory intervention stems from the CMA's 2024 determination that Apple and Google maintain an "effective duopoly" over mobile ecosystems—granting them disproportionate market power that stifles competition.
Under the agreement, Apple will permit developers to formally request interoperable access to proprietary operating system features and functionality previously reserved for its own services.
Both corporations have further committed to blocking the exploitation of confidential data harvested from competitor apps to gain advantages for their in-house offerings.
The watchdog confirmed the enforceable commitments will activate April 1, 2026, with regulatory teeth behind them. Officials cautioned they stand ready to mandate formal conduct requirements should either company inadequately execute the promised reforms.
The framework seeks to supercharge the UK app economy by restoring developer confidence to pour capital into innovation without fear of platform retaliation.
The announcement represents the inaugural major enforcement action delivered by the CMA under Britain's overhauled digital markets competition regime—signaling aggressive regulatory posture toward Big Tech dominance.
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