{"id":49754,"date":"2025-10-23T15:01:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T19:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=49754"},"modified":"2025-12-29T16:11:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T21:11:23","slug":"uk-commission-lawsuit-ruling-and-strategic-market-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2025\/10\/23\/uk-commission-lawsuit-ruling-and-strategic-market-status\/","title":{"rendered":"UK: Commission Lawsuit Ruling and Strategic Market Status"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sam Tobin<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Apple abused its dominant position by charging app developers unfair commissions, a London tribunal ruled on Thursday, in a blow which could leave the U.S. tech company on the hook for hundreds of millions of pounds in damages.<\/p>

[…]<\/p>

Thursday’s ruling comes after Apple was hit with a complaint to European antitrust regulators<\/a> over the terms and conditions of its App Store under rules aimed at reining in Big Tech.<\/p>

[…]<\/p>

Rachael Kent, the British academic who brought the case, argued Apple had made “exorbitant profits” by excluding all competition for the distribution of apps and in-app purchases.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Sarah Perez<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Wednesday that it’s designating Apple and Google with strategic market status in their respective mobile platforms. The decision, which affects the companies’ operating systems, app stores, browsers, and browser engines, will enable the regulator to take targeted actions to enhance competition in the space.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

Among other findings, the CMA discovered that U.K. mobile device owners are unlikely to switch between Apple and Google’s mobile platforms once they have adopted the ecosystem of their choice. It noted that both platforms require businesses to distribute apps through their app stores to reach consumers.<\/p>\n

Notably, it also said that new technologies, like AI, were “unlikely to eliminate Apple or Google’s market power over the five-year designation period.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Nick Heer<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

Pretty soon it may be easier to list the significant markets in which Apple is still able to exercise complete control over iOS app distribution.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n