Apple, Google Commit to Fairer App Store Practices in UK

Source: MacRumors

Overview

Apple and Google have agreed to a series of changes aimed at making their app stores fairer for developers, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced today.

The commitments follow the CMA’s finding that the two companies hold a duopoly and its designation of them as having “strategic market status” in mobile platforms last October. The designation is not a finding of wrongdoing, but it gives UK regulators new powers to demand specific changes to boost competition in the mobile market.

Commitments

• Both companies will ensure apps are reviewed and ranked on their app stores in a fair, objective and transparent way, without discrimination against apps that compete with their own services.
• They will safeguard developer data collected during the app review process.
• Apple must allow developers to more easily request access to iOS features and functionality, potentially enabling third‑party apps to compete more effectively with Apple’s own services.

Source: Bloomberg.

Timeline

The changes are set to take effect on April 1, pending a public consultation period that runs through March 3.

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This article first appeared on MacRumors.com.