LONDON — Britain’s competition watchdog has proposed new rules that would give app developers the ability to direct users to payment methods outside of Apple and Google’s app store platforms, a move intended to lower costs and increase competition in the digital marketplace.
The Competition and Markets Authority announced the proposals, which would lift current restrictions that block UK-based developers from sending users to off-platform payment options. Apple currently prohibits such practices entirely, while Google places significant limits on them.
Under the proposed framework, any fees that Apple or Google charge for allowing developers to redirect users in this way — a practice known as “steering” — would have to be fair and reasonable. The watchdog specified those fees should be lower than existing app store commission rates, with any resulting savings either passed along to consumers or put back into innovation.
The authority is also weighing whether to require Apple to open up its near-field communication technology to outside developers, which could enable contactless payment features to be built directly into iOS apps.
Google responded to the announcement by saying it had already taken steps in line with what regulators are now proposing. “We have already made the changes that the CMA is proposing today,” the company said in a written statement. Google pointed to updated Play Store policies introduced earlier this month that allow developers to direct users to complete purchases outside the platform, along with adjustments to how it structures its fees.
Apple had not responded to a request for comment at the time of this report.
