Apple and Google could win this fight with the UK for sure. They should just both pull out of the UK market. The UK has no innovation like the combination of the American companies of Apple and Google. Yes they would temporally loose money, but the people would demand that they come back and the government would cave.
Apple has warned that UK users could face delayed product features if the country's regulators proceed with "EU-style rules" that seek to make it easier for smaller firms to compete with big tech companies.
Apple told the BBC that proposed regulations from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) "are bad for users and bad for developers," and pointed to the European Union's Digital Markets Act, which it says has already caused feature delays for European users, as evidence of regulatory overreach.
Apple Intelligence, which was announced at WWDC 2024, was initially scheduled to launch globally in September 2024, but it was withheld from EU users that year while Apple figured out how to make the new functionality compatible with the DMA's rules. Apple Intelligence eventually launched in the EU in March 2025.
The warning comes as the CMA prepares its final decision on whether to force Apple and Google to open their mobile platforms. The regulator has already established that the companies control "around 90-100% of UK mobile devices," creating an "effective duopoly."
The proposed changes would require Apple to allow app developers to steer users toward alternative payment systems outside the App Store, undercutting Apple's 30% commission model. The CMA also wants improved interoperability for digital wallets and smartwatches.
Apple argues these measures "undermine privacy and security protections" and force it to "give away technology for free to foreign competitors." The company claims it has received over 100 data access requests from rivals under similar EU rules.
The CMA has already rejected Apple's characterization, insisting that UK regulations differ from EU laws and instead focus on specific interoperability aspects rather than broad platform access. The regulator says its approach will help UK developers innovate without compromising security.
The CMA has until October to finalize its strategic market status designations. In the meantime, it has invited stakeholders to submit feedback on the proposed intervention roadmap.
Article Link: Apple Warns UK Risks Feature Delays Under Proposed Competition Rules
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Apple Warns UK Risks Feature Delays Under Proposed Competition Rules
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Or Google and Apple can just pull out of the UK and leave them to whatever innovation they dont have and then they will be begging for US companies to come back.
Have you seen what the UK is wanting to do with your data? They want to kill end to end encryption. I dont trust big tech, but I trust them more than the UK government.Better to shoot yourself in the foot than in the head, because you live in a country where big tech companies have no rules at all and they can do whatever they want with your data without your consent ...
Actually I do, I have to click to accept so I may as well click too turn them off.
Sure, go ahead and watch their stock prices tumble, will they also pull out of Europe too considering most of it follows the same laws and regulations? Or are you singling the UK out?
nah.
there are *plenty* of websites that require more than one click to turn them off vs 1 click to accept.
I'm going to assume you're at least exaggerating as perhaps maybe you click to turn them off on some sites, but when there isn't a 1 click to reject cookies, you'll accept.
If Apple were to pull out of the UK they would loose approximately $20-24 billion annually, which is a large sum of money. However the UK would loose 7,700 Apple employees and another 400,000 to 500,000 job related to supply chain and the economy created around iOS (see https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2...cord-growth-supporting-more-than-440000-jobs/), they would lose E304,000,000 in tax revenue, and loose Apples $18 Billion dollar technology investment (see https://images.apple.com/uk/newsroo...vestment-and-doubles-local-engineering-teams/). The UK stands to loose a lot more than Apple in the long run. I would tell them to kiss it and pull out of their economy! If Google followed suit, it would be awesome to watch.
"... giant US tech firms do not get to dictate the rules, they follow them ..."
I practical terms, that is far from true.
I practical terms, that is far from true.
They are the only company that supplies Apple devices and OS feature updates.
However much people rant on about "the failed attempt to mandate MicroUSB", at the end of the day, the EU didn't mandate MicroUSB, they mandated USB-C. Of course MicroUSB was "in the running" because it was the port chosen for the 2008 voluntary agreement (when USB-C wasn't available and MicroUSB was the best the industry could come up with). Ultimately, it was rejected.
...someone who thinks they can sell hundreds of millions of them in US, China, India, Japan, Africa....?
There's a whole slew of expensively-developed tech gadgets that never make it outside of Japan.
Meanwhile - what amazing developments are you anticipating in charging ports? USB-C can deliver up to 240W & anything that needs more than that is exempt from the directive anyhow. Likewise, the directive only applies to devices that can be charged by a wire - so there's nothing to hold back wireless charging. USB-C phones are already thinner than their camera lenses... plus there's nothing to prevent the EU directive being revised 5-10 years down the line if new technology does emerge.
Frankly, if anybody has hundreds of megabucks for phone R&D I'd hope it goes on something a lot less boring than a differently-shaped plug.
I've just had a peek on line and the CCS vs NACS debate seems to be ongoing in the US and - guess what? the Land of The Free has loads of laws about which connectors you're required to put on state-backed charging stations?
Sometimes having the second-best plug as a standard is actually better than having an mess of different connectors while waiting for the Invisible Hand to finish making the "perfect" one.
The UK would cave. If Apple were to pull out of the UK they would loose approximately $20-24 billion annually, which is a large sum of money. However the UK would loose 7,700 Apple employees and another 400,000 to 500,000 job related to supply chain and the economy created around iOS (see https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2...cord-growth-supporting-more-than-440000-jobs/), they would lose E304,000,000 in tax revenue, and loose Apples $18 Billion dollar technology investment (see https://images.apple.com/uk/newsroo...vestment-and-doubles-local-engineering-teams/). The UK stands to loose a lot more than Apple in the long run. I would tell them to kiss it and pull out of their economy! If Google followed suit, it would be awesome to watch.
Given the numbers you’re quoting ( and a very big thank you for the reference links, that’s appreciated ), then it’s most likely neither Apple nor the UK will press the big red nuclear button. The UK stands to lose more, but Apple also loses, so thinking of it as a zero-sum game is bad for both.
It’ll drag on, there’ll be concessions, and a lot of horse-trading, but iPhones will continue to be sold in the UK and the UK inteligence services will not get their own unilateral key into Apple’s security.
Money is worth more than drama.
Companies lay off more staff then that, so no they wouldn’t cave for that reason. And Apple would lose far far far far more in value if it pulled out. You can make the case as much as you like, but it would never happen as share price is far more important to company executives who’s wealth and salary is linked to them. Plus Apple would lose noticeable sales income.
Also as an FYI Apple employs chip designers and engineers in the UK so it would lose that talent and skill set too which would impact the company and it’s product development schedule.
Hahahahaaa
Steve Jobs said the lighting port was the port for iPhones for the next decade.
Guess how long it lasted? A decade.
All that law did was prohibit innovation, now we are stuck with USB C because it will be to hard to move to USB D if they ever designed it, cause at some point the C port will not be able to keep up (It might be a long time but still).
It’s not that a wallet competitor will emerge, it’s that NFC payments will inevitably become balkanized.
Apple Pay and Google Pay were appealing (especially for smaller institutions) because not only were they a more secure and consumer friendly technology, but the wallet services also allowed collective bargaining with the payment processors.A large bank like Chase or Bank of America can negotiate a lower transaction rate directly with the payment networks because they have large enough transaction volumes. Once the large players pull out, Apple loses leverage to negotiate a favorable rate. The added customer friction is a bonus for major institutions because that means customers are less likely to use their competitors products. The downstream effects are ultimately the big national banks can outcompete the smaller players, win more marketshare in consumer banking, and further deteriorate customer experience.
Notarisation is not some new concept. The scenario I mentioned is an edge case that doesn't align with how it is used. If Apple or Google abuse it in that manner, they will be sued by large businesses and governments. The small devs need only point to those established precedents. It is a reasonable security measure.
Steve Jobs said it would be the next port for a decade, but he didn't say it would run at USB 2 speeds for the next decade. If he did, he would have been boo'd off stage. The EU law exists because companies like Apple were standing in the way of innovation. If this law holds innovation back, blame the companies that made the law necessary.
That said, this is a red herring. Laws can be updated and there will likely never be another wired power/data port on phones as they move toward wireless, which is not subject to the current law. As a port, USB-C will likely have longevity on par with USB-A. Phones themselves are using so little of the port's capabilities, I don't know why we'd even be talking about replacing it. Apple should give their Pro phones USB 4 support, but they likely never will because then people will wonder why they can't back up to an encrypted flash drive instead of paying for iCloud.