The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured commitments from Apple and Google that aim to improve the fairness of their app store practices.
The CMA last year determined that the two US firms held strategic market status (SMS) in this marketplace, with the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store making up an overwhelming majority for consumers downloading apps.
It also concluded that through this duopoly, app developers faced unfair conditions, including an unavoidable hefty commission paid to the tech giants.
With the designation given, the CMA then proposed a package of proposals that would make the firm’s practices more fair for app developers. Though the regulator’s decision was initially slammed by the firms, the CMA confirmed on Tuesday that it had received commitments to improve transparency and fairness.
Among these commitments is a pledge to ensure more competitive practices. This would see a requirement that Apple and Google do not discriminate against potential competitors when reviewing apps to be listed on their stores and ensure that they rank apps in a fair, transparent and objective way.
They also include ensuring Apple and Google safeguard the app data they gather from developers and do not use it unfairly and enabling developers to more easily request interoperable access to features within Apple’s mobile operating systems.
The CMA is taking views on the commitments offered and as part of the process will closely monitor Apple and Google’s implementation of them.
“The ability to secure immediate commitments from Apple and Google reflects the unique flexibility of the UK digital markets competition regime and offers a practical route to swiftly address the concerns we’ve identified,” said Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA.
“These are important first steps while we continue to work on a broad range of additional measures to improve Apple and Google’s app store services in the UK, for example by enabling more choice and innovation in digital wallets, boosting the UK’s fintech sector and potentially supporting the roll out of digital IDs.”
