Regulators are ramping up pressure on Apple and Google, with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) proposing major changes to the tech giants’ mobile platforms.

Both companies have been provisionally designated with “strategic market status” (SMS) – a classification that could soon subject them to new conduct rules aimed at levelling the playing field for app developers, fintechs, and connected device makers.

The CMA says Apple and Google’s dominance over mobile platforms, which power nearly every smartphone sold in the UK, has led to unfair practices.

These include steep in-app transaction fees (up to 30%), limited access to critical device features, restrictions on alternative payment options, and default settings that favour their own services.

The proposed changes would see app review processes made more transparent, allow developers to direct users to external payment methods, and unlock interoperability between mobile devices and wearables.

The move mirrors growing global pressure on mobile platform gatekeepers, with regulators in Europe, the US, and now the UK pushing back against closed ecosystems.

Although major interventions – such as forcing Apple to allow alternative app stores – are delayed until at least 2026, the CMA has published a roadmap outlining short-term priorities, including actions around app store fairness, digital wallets and AI-enabled services like voice assistants.

Apple warned the proposals could threaten user privacy and security, while Google called the CMA’s approach “disappointing and unwarranted”.

If the designations are confirmed by October, both companies could face binding conduct requirements and fines of up to 10% of global turnover for non-compliance.