The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has launched a formal consultation under Britain's Digital Markets regime, targeting Apple and Google's grip on in-app payments. The proposed conduct requirements would allow developers to steer users toward external payment processors, bypassing the platforms' own billing systems. This is a regulatory escalation beyond previous investigations — it is now a structured rule-making process with enforceable outcomes.
Apple and Google each collect commissions of up to 30% on in-app purchases, and that revenue stream is directly in the crosshairs of this action. If the UK rules take effect, they reduce high-margin services revenue for both companies and set a template that other major regulators — particularly in the EU and US — could follow. Investors in AAPL and GOOGL should treat this as a slow-moving but real margin risk to the services segment.
CMA consultation response window (typically 4–8 weeks from launch): watch for the CMA's publication of final conduct requirements. EU Digital Markets Act enforcement checkpoints: ongoing. US DOJ v. Apple app store case: ongoing proceedings.
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