Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 15, 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
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×