UK targets Apple and Google’s mobile platforms for regulation

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Wednesday a proposal that would give Apple and Google’s mobile platforms “strategic market status” — a designation that allows the regulator to create rules that could change how their app stores operate and how their mobile software works.

The move is designed to create a more open, competitive environment for the app economy and user choice. However, Apple and Google have pushed back at the proposals, with Apple saying changes would compromise user security and privacy. A final decision on the matter will arrive in October, after the two companies present their cases.

If the proposal goes through, it would give the CMA the ability to address issues like the commission rates on in-app purchases, the app review process, app rankings, restrictions on developer access to certain technology, and default settings that could reduce competition, among other things. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, which has been involved in antitrust lawsuits against the tech giants, expressed his disappointment in the proposed roadmap, as it doesn’t allow for competing mobile app stores like the Epic Games Store.