Apple, Google agree to improve fairness on app stores

First, the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations forced Apple and Google to make their platforms fairer. Now, it appears that the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will be extracting similar changes from Apple and Google too.

The CMA designated Apple and Google with “strategic market status” or SMS in mobile platforms last year, saying that the companies had an “effective duopoly” over the market in the UK. Under this designation, the CMA is allowed to introduce measures to demand changes to the platforms to ensure “fair dealing, open choices or trust and transparency.”

Now, the CMA says it has “secured commitments” from both Apple and Google regarding their app stores.

According to the CMA, Apple and Google have agreed to make sure their app review processes for Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store do not discriminate against mobile applications that compete with their own apps.

The CMA’s commitments that the two Big Tech companies have agreed to include “fair, objective, and transparent” review of apps submitted to the app stores, and fair app rankings that do not give the company’s own apps an unfair advantage. Apple and Google have also agreed to not use the data it collects for an unfair advantage. In addition, Apple has agreed to consider providing app developers with “interoperable access to features and functionality within Apple’s mobile operating systems.”

These commitments will come into effect in April, according to the CMA.

Most interestingly, however, for developers around the world will be the data Apple and Google said it will provide to the CMA, which the CMA will make public. This data includes the “proportion of apps submitted for review, approved, rejected and appealed” and the time taken for app review. Some app developers have complained about the long wait times for the app store review process over the years, so this data should be valuable to them. Apple and Google will also provide the CMA with the number of complaints received and what the outcome of those are, as well as interoperability requests received and the outcome of those requests.

“Following designation of Apple and Google’s mobile platforms in October last year, the CMA has moved swiftly to secure a package of commitments from Apple and Google that will boost the UK’s app economy, giving developers the opportunity and confidence they need to invest and innovate,” CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell.

Apple and Google both welcomed the changes in statements provided to the BBC.