UK competition watchdog moves to curb Apple and Google app‑store fees

Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened a consultation on June 30, 2026 to allow app developers to steer users toward payment options outside the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The proposals aim to lower the mandatory commissions—up to 30 %—that developers currently pay, and to require any “steering” fees charged by the platforms to be “fair and reasonable” and below existing rates, with savings passed to consumers or reinvested in development.

The regulator also signaled it could require Apple to open access to its near‑field communication (NFC) technology, enabling fintechs to offer alternative contactless payment methods within iOS apps. Apple warned that removing the current restrictions could expose users to scams and undermine fraud‑prevention safeguards, while Google pointed to recent global Play Store terms that already permit limited steering.

Designated as firms with “strategic market status” under the UK’s digital markets regime, Apple and Google face the possibility of formal conduct requirements later in 2026 if the CMA deems the consultation’s findings warrant enforcement.