London, Aug 29 (V7N) – Apple has expressed strong opposition to the UK’s proposed regulatory changes aimed at increasing competition within the mobile operating system market, warning that such interventions could harm both users and developers while compromising the company’s core values of privacy and innovation.

The company’s comments come after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced its intention to designate both Apple and Google as firms with “strategic market status” due to their dominant positions in the mobile ecosystem. This status would empower the CMA to enforce behavioral rules to promote fairer competition, including requirements for app distribution practices and system interoperability.

In a statement issued on Thursday, an Apple spokesperson criticized the proposals, comparing them to EU-style regulations. “We’re concerned these EU-style rules the UK is advancing are bad for users and bad for developers,” the company said. “This approach undermines the privacy and security protections our users have come to expect, hampers our ability to innovate, and forces us to give away our technology for free to foreign competitors.”

According to Apple, the CMA’s plans prioritize requirements like interoperability — which could force Apple to make its systems more compatible with third-party apps and services — and “steering” practices, allowing app developers to guide users to make purchases outside the App Store. Apple argues these measures could expose users to greater risks of scams, weaken security standards, and limit the company's capacity to invest in new technology.

Furthermore, Apple raised concerns over the evidence used by the CMA, claiming that the regulator relied on limited developer feedback and survey data. The company also defended its position in the market, stating that it faces healthy competition from global firms like Samsung and Google. Apple warned that implementing the CMA's rules could create a regulatory imbalance, giving an unfair advantage to foreign competitors.

In response, a CMA spokesperson stated that the UK’s regulatory model is distinct from that of the European Union and is designed to provide greater flexibility, aiming for solutions that are proportionate and effective for businesses and consumers alike. “Driving greater competition on mobile platforms need not undermine privacy, security or intellectual property,” the regulator said.

The CMA is expected to make its final decision in October, with the tech industry closely watching the outcome as it may reshape how platform companies operate in the UK market.

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