Apple is coming under heavier scrutiny from both British and European regulators. The company’s control over how apps run, sell, and track users is now facing direct challenges on two fronts. One is the United Kingdom’s new digital market regime. The other comes from privacy regulators in Europe questioning Apple’s data-tracking rules.
UK Watchdog Moves First
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has given itself new powers over Apple and Google. Both firms now carry the label of “strategic market status[1],” a legal tag that lets the CMA monitor how their app stores, browsers, and operating systems behave. The move became possible under the country’s digital markets law, which took effect earlier this year.
With this new authority, the regulator can step in if it sees unfair treatment of smaller developers or if users have limited choices. It can demand changes to payment systems, ranking methods, and access to alternative stores. For years, app makers have said that Apple and Google set the rules to protect their own profits while restricting rivals.
The Coalition for App Fairness, a group representing developers and tech firms such as Spotify and Epic Games, called the decision overdue. It says the mobile economy can only grow if the rules are fair and transparent.
Trade groups on the other side argue that users already enjoy wide choice and that stricter regulation might slow investment. Google pointed to research showing high satisfaction among Android users in the UK, while Apple warned that new restrictions could reduce privacy and delay software updates.
Privacy Rules Stir Tension in Europe
Apple’s challenges don’t end in Britain. Across Europe, it’s also facing criticism for its App Tracking Transparency feature, which lets users block apps from following their online activity. The company says this tool protects privacy. Regulators in Germany, Italy, and France see it differently.
Germany’s competition authority said Apple’s system might be anticompetitive because the company allegedly holds its own apps to a different standard. France has already fined Apple for the same issue. Apple claims the criticism stems from pressure by advertising groups and large digital firms that profit from tracking users.
The company also hinted[2] it might disable the feature in some European countries if regulators force changes that undermine its design. That warning signals how far Apple is willing to go to defend its model of privacy control.
Two Sides of the Same Fight
The disputes in London and Brussels share a theme: control. Regulators want to loosen Apple’s grip on how apps reach users and how data is collected. Apple argues that tighter rules risk breaking the smooth and secure experience its devices are known for.
Both Apple and Google are now preparing for years of oversight as governments push for a more open mobile ecosystem. The CMA’s new framework will test whether British law can keep tech giants in check without driving them away. In Europe, privacy cases could reshape how digital ads and user data are handled across borders.
A Shifting Landscape for Mobile Power
Together, these moves show a region growing less tolerant of big tech’s dominance. Regulators no longer rely on voluntary promises. They’re setting boundaries on what Apple and Google can do with their platforms.
For Apple, the coming months will be critical. Its next steps in the UK and the EU will show whether it can protect its business model while meeting new legal expectations. Whatever happens, both companies are entering a new phase where privacy, competition, and power are being redrawn by the people who write the rules.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.
Read next:
• Gemini Struggles Most in Accuracy Test; BBC–EBU Study Exposes Deep Flaws in AI News Replies[3]
• Study Finds Health Apps Still Struggle With Data Transparency[4]
• Fewer Clicks, Fewer Readers: Social Media Sends Less Traffic to News Sites as Platforms Shift Away from Links[5]
References
- ^ strategic market status (www.gov.uk)
- ^ also hinted (www.dpa-international.com)
- ^ Gemini Struggles Most in Accuracy Test; BBC–EBU Study Exposes Deep Flaws in AI News Replies (www.digitalinformationworld.com)
- ^ Study Finds Health Apps Still Struggle With Data Transparency (www.digitalinformationworld.com)
- ^ Fewer Clicks, Fewer Readers: Social Media Sends Less Traffic to News Sites as Platforms Shift Away from Links (www.digitalinformationworld.com)