Apple is pushing back against proposed UK App Store changes, saying the approach under discussion would give regulators an unusually direct role in how the company runs its marketplace. The issue centers on pressure from the UK Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, over App Store payment rules.
A key point in the dispute is whether developers in the United Kingdom should be allowed to steer users to transaction methods outside Apple’s own in-app purchase system. The CMA is pressing for a framework that would let developers link to external payment options rather than keeping purchases entirely inside the App Store.
Apple argues that the proposed UK App Store rules are too intrusive because they would move beyond oversight and into operational control. In the company’s view, the regulator would be dictating how the business functions instead of setting broader competition standards.
The disagreement adds to the wider global debate over app store payments, developer choice and the power of major platform operators. In the UK, the focus is now on how far regulators should go in changing App Store rules while balancing competition concerns with Apple’s control over its platform.
