Great Britain: Apple argues against regulation with EU as a negative example
Antitrust regulators are targeting Apple’s App Store rules in more countries, and Apple is now defending its policies in a special way before the UK’s CMA.
Apple with a carved British flag: Apple faces regulation in many regions of the world.
(Image: Olivier Guiberteau/Shutterstock)
Apple has warned the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) against imposing European Union-style rules when it comes to regulating the App Store, which is also pending in the UK. "EU-style rules" are "bad for users and bad for developers", the company said in response to the current CMA proposals. In Europe, such rules have led to Apple having to delay functions and improvements for users. The CMA believes that the market for apps is currently too heavily dominated by Google and Apple with the Play Store and App Store. The authority rejected the BBC's claim. It said its new rules were "different to those of the EU" and were designed to help businesses innovate and grow.
EU withdrawal attempts
The piquant thing about this is that the UK is still trying to distinguish itself from EU policy after Brexit under the current Labour government, even though there has been greater rapprochement between the British and the continent. It is therefore worth noting that Apple argues with the EU as a negative example. However, the CMA sees no reason not to intervene in the app market, as is happening in more and more countries around the world – from the USA to Japan and Australia.
The CMA recently found that between 90 and 100 percent of UK mobile devices were running Android or iOS. Both companies would therefore "effectively have a duopoly". Among other things, Apple and Google should no longer be allowed to prohibit app providers from offering users alternative payment methods. A final decision is expected in October. Apple also argued that the CMA regulation could lead to protective measures for user security and data protection being undermined. Innovation would be restricted and the company would be forced to give "our technology to foreign competitors for free".
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Measures "specifically for the UK"
The CMA repeated mistakes made by the EU when implementing the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The CMA emphasized that the UK competition rules work "completely differently" to those in the EU. In a statement obtained by the BBC, it said that the aim was to help British companies – "including our successful app developer economy". At the same time, British consumers should continue to benefit from innovations introduced in other countries.
Furthermore, more competition on mobile platforms does not lead to less privacy and security. Measures specifically for the UK are being examined very closely. Epic Games, Apple's major opponent in a legal dispute in the USA over the App Store, recently criticized the CMA. The regulation does not go far enough, which is why they do not want "Fortnite" back on British iPhones, they said.
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