Publishers may be able to “sell directly from their apps and keep subscriber data” under new rules set out by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Jonny Kaldor, CEO of app developer for news publishers Pugpig, told Press Gazette this is “good news” for news organisations.
The CMA proposals follow the designation of both companies’ mobile platforms under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act as having “strategic market status” in October last year – meaning they can be forced by regulators to stop abusing their dominant market status.
Currently publishers can sell subscriptions through the iOS or Android platforms, but Apple and Google’s policies require digital purchases to be processed through their in-app systems which can involve commission charges of up to 30%.
Apple has also restricted how developers could steer users toward subscribing outside the app.
These restrictions could make it harder for publishers to convert app users to subscribers and increased reliance on platform-controlled payment systems.
The new CMA measures under consultation would remove restrictions on “steering”, allowing UK app developers to direct customers to payment options outside of Apple and Google’s payment platforms and allow them to bypass mandatory fees set by the platforms.
The CMA has described both tech companies as operating an “effective duopoly” with at least 90% of UK mobile devices running on their platforms.
Kaldor said: “If this happens it will certainly be good news for publishers in the UK, being able to sell direct from apps and keep their data at the same time – frankly something they should have always been able to do.
“It’s good timing too as publishers start to see their apps not only as retention tools, but also to acquire new subscribers.
“What’s interesting though is that despite our US publishers having the option to do this for some time now, only a few of them do. So the question will be to what extent publishers take this up here in the UK.”
Apple updated its App Store guidelines in the US to allow developers to steer users outside the platform in May 2025, in response to an injunction issued in the Epic v Apple case.
Epic Games sued Apple in 2020 after Fortnite was removed from the App Store when it introduced a direct payment option that bypassed Apple’s mandatory 30% in-app purchase commission.
The CMA’s consultation includes principles to ensure that the fees Apple and Google charge for steering are fair, reasonable and lower than current app store charges.
It proposed that any savings should then be passed onto UK customers or invested back into the developers’ businesses to support future innovation.
NMA: Restrictions must go beyond Google and Apple
Theo Bamber, chief executive of News Media Association, said “excessive fees and restrictive rules” have limited innovation and investment for publishers, and this is still a concern with no restrictions on transaction fees not processed by Google and Apple.
He said: “Whilst it is encouraging that the CMA is taking steps to enable publishers and other app developers to steer customers to alternative payment options, we remain concerned that the proposed Conduct Requirements do not clearly prohibit or constrain fees on transactions that are not processed by Apple or Google.
“This means that any remaining fees must be objectively justified and supported by clear evidence which demonstrates that costs were genuinely incurred by Apple or Google as a result of facilitating steering. Without that safeguard, the proposals risk entrenching the very barriers they are intended to remove.”
Reforms intended to increase competition
Will Hayter, executive director for Digital Markets at the CMA, said the proposals give both app developers and users “more choice about how they communicate and how they transact”, as well as introducing “competitive pressure” in a mobile ecosystem that is otherwise “sorely lacking such pressure”.
He added: “While it is only fair for Apple and Google to be compensated for the services they provide, any fees they charge must be justified through a robust, evidence-led framework involving due reference to both cost and value.”
The CMA is also designing a potential requirement to allow app developers to take contactless payments directly within their apps outside of Apple’s in-app payment system, which sees Apple process the payment and take a commission.
Hayter said: “I do think that the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act is an exceptionally well-designed legislative tool to bring about positive change – it is precise enough to set boundaries, but flexible enough to respond to the realities of the market and to adapt over time as those realities shift.”
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