Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Apple says App Store rules support 330,000 UK jobs as it hits back at competition investigation

Apple says App Store rules support 330,000 UK jobs as it hits back at competition investigation

The claim is the latest response from the company following a range of competition complaints brought in the UK, EU and US.

Apple says its App Store rules support 330,000 jobs in the UK following an announcement that it was being investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority.

Earlier this month the CMA confirmed it had received complaints from "several developers reporting that Apple's terms and conditions are unfair and could break competition law".

The regulator did not reveal the identity of these developers, but the company's most powerful rival and critic in recent months - Facebook - has filed competition complaints about Apple elsewhere, as have Spotify and Fortnite-maker Epic Games.

The CMA said its investigation involved establishing "whether Apple has a dominant position in connection with the distribution of apps on Apple devices in the UK".

Apple acknowledges that it does - with significant government pressure that it continues to do so to ensure apps are safe for children.

But the crucial question for the CMA is "whether Apple imposes unfair or anti-competitive terms on developers using the App Store, ultimately resulting in users having less choice or paying higher prices for apps and add-ons".

Apple said the App Store's rigorous standards were "applied fairly and equally to all developers" and emphasised the economic contribution the store makes.

It said the number of jobs tied to iOS app development grew by more than 10% last year.

Apple today repeated the argument about its economic contribution, saying: "Developers across the UK generated to date more than £3.6bn in total earnings - growing 22% in 2020 from the previous year.

"That trend echoed across Europe, where the iOS app economy grew to support 1.7 millions jobs - a 7% increase since 2019," the company added.

The European Commission is also investigating the App Store's rules.

Companies such as Spotify and Epic Games have complained that their revenues are diminished by being required to pay 30% of subscriber fees to Apple when payment is made through the App Store.

Apple will display a prompt giving users a choice over app tracking


It comes ahead of the expected launch of Apple's new App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature in iOS 14, which is expected later this month - bringing what Facebook describes as "a discouraging prompt" if any apps such as Facebook's attempt to track them or access their device's advertising identifier.

Facebook claimed the feature would harm app developers and small businesses, and that it was an anti-competitive measure designed to benefit Apple's own advertising features.

Apple responded by saying it welcomed in-app advertising and was not prohibiting tracking, "simply requiring each app to obtain explicit user consent in order to track so that it will be more transparent and under user control".

Facebook's criticisms came as the social media company also announced it would be joining Fortnite maker Epic Games' legal fight against Apple.

It said it would be providing relevant information on how Apple's policies adversely impacted the company.

"Apple has every incentive to use their dominant platform position to interfere with how our apps and other apps work, which they regularly do," Mr Zuckerberg told investors at the time.

"They say they are doing this to help people, but the moves clearly track their competitive interests."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×