UK CMA orders Apple and Google to open in-app payments under new DMCC powers, giving 90 days for compliance plans
Enzo Reno ·
The UK Competition and Markets Authority on Wednesday issued legally binding conduct requirements for Apple and Google over in‑app payments and app store terms in the United Kingdom, directing both companies to allow alternative payment options and to curb restrictions on developer steering. The order, the first to use the CMA’s new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act powers, gives Apple and Google 90 days to submit compliance plans or face penalties of up to 10 percent of global turnover.
The move matters because it extends regulatory pressure on the mobile duopoly beyond the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which has already triggered enforcement over steering rules. The European Commission fined Apple 1.8 billion euros in March 2024 in the Spotify case, and opened non‑compliance probes under the DMA in 2024.
What changes in the UK The CMA said developers must be able to inform users of alternative payment methods, link to external websites for subscriptions, and use third‑party in‑app payment processors without punitive fees. It also set transparency obligations around review processes and data access, and told Apple to enable cloud gaming and web app distribution on iOS without discriminatory terms.
Apple and Google must file detailed implementation roadmaps within three months, followed by technical changes on a regulator‑set timetable. The CMA said it can levy daily penalties for delays, and will appoint monitoring trustees if needed.
Apple said it is reviewing the order and will continue to engage with the CMA to ensure user security and privacy. Google said it supports choice for developers and will work with the regulator while maintaining protections for users. Both companies have previously argued that sideloading and alternative billing can increase fraud risk.
Why this hits revenue strategies Apple’s Services unit reported 85.2 billion dollars in revenue in fiscal 2023, according to its 10‑K, and analysts attribute a meaningful share to App Store fees. While Google does not break out Play revenue, Data.ai and Sensor Tower have estimated that App Store and Google Play together account for well over 100 billion dollars in annual global consumer spend, with Apple taking the larger share.
The UK action follows a multi‑year examination of mobile ecosystems. Ofcom referred the public cloud market to the CMA in 2023, and the DMCC Act received Royal Assent in 2024, granting the regulator powers to designate firms with “strategic market status” and impose tailored conduct rules. The CMA has previously flagged restrictiveness around in‑app payments, cloud gaming, and web app functionality on iOS.
For the broader tech landscape, the UK order signals that post‑DMA enforcement is fragmenting across jurisdictions, creating parallel rulebooks for gatekeepers. Large platforms will need to localize app store and billing policies, which pressures high‑margin services lines and opens distribution routes for developers and cloud gaming providers that were previously blocked or uneconomic.