The UK’s competition regulator is taking aim at a fee lever that app developers rarely control: “steering.” The CMA is consulting on requirements it says are currently preventing UK app developers from steering customers away from Apple and Google’s mobile platforms for payment. In plain English, steering is what happens when an app can point users to a payment route outside the app store after the user is already inside the app experience.

The CMA’s core expectation is also specific. It does not expect Apple or Google to eliminate fees when developers engage directly with customers. But it does expect steering fees to be lower than current app store charges, with potential savings passed to customers or reinvested into developers’ businesses “to support future innovation.” In parallel, the CMA says Apple currently prohibits steering in the UK while Google restricts it, and it wants the rules for both platforms to change through a formal regulatory framework.

This is not just another policy tweak. Apple and Google are already designated as having Strategic Market Status (SMS), which matters because it gives the CMA far-reaching powers over how the pair runs their mobile businesses. When a regulator has that level of power, “fees” stop being a private negotiation between a platform and an app developer, and become a compliance problem that can shape business models across the ecosystem.

The CMA’s consultation language is also revealing: it’s framed around the idea that steering restrictions are blocking developers from using direct engagement with customers, which lets them bypass the tech giants’ app stores and avoid the fees those stores charge. The regulator is essentially saying, “You can’t call the restriction a fair tradeoff if it blocks legitimate customer navigation and forces every purchase through your price stack.” And it’s putting the burden on Apple and Google’s compensation logic, not just their behavior.

Will Hayter, Executive Director for Digital Markets, laid out the CMA’s rationale in a quote included in the story. He said: “While it is only fair for Apple and Google to be compensated for the services they provide, any fees they charge must be justified through a robust, evidence-led framework involving due reference to both cost and value.” That line is important for decision-makers because it signals that the CMA is not aiming only at lower headline fees. It is targeting justification standards. In other words, platforms may be forced to show their math, not just their policy.

There’s also a near-term clock to watch. A Google spokesperson told The Register that Google has “already made the changes that the CMA is proposing today,” including its fee structure, with new rates due to take effect on June 30. Google says the changes will reduce costs for many developers, though the CMA has yet to say whether they go far enough. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. For executives running apps and developer programs, this creates a split-screen reality: Google is claiming it is ahead of the curve, while Apple is in a wait-and-see posture that could invite a sharper CMA outcome later.

The “steering” consultation is arriving as the CMA is clearly building a broader enforcement pattern. Earlier in June, the regulator imposed new rules on Google Search to help publishers prevent their work appearing in AI overviews, and it secured commitments from both Google and Apple regarding how their app stores operate. The steering work looks like the next move in the same playbook: take a platform lever that affects downstream monetization, tighten the rules, and force more predictable economics for the businesses that depend on the platform.

This story also has a hardware angle that could matter more than it seems. The CMA is looking at access to near-field communications (NFC) on Apple devices and is considering a potential requirement to allow developers access. That, per the story, could address current “high fees and strict terms.” NFC access is the kind of capability that can turn app store rules from a “payment choice” issue into a “system access” issue. If developers gain more direct options on device capabilities, it can intensify pressure for both fee lowering and less restrictive payment terms.

The process details are worth noting for anyone tracking regulatory timelines. Respondents have until July 28 to submit responses to the steering consultation. NFC views need to be in by July 21. The CMA expects to decide later in the year whether to impose new requirements. And Apple and Google are not alone in the CMA’s sights. The story notes that Microsoft and AWS have also attracted regulatory attention, reinforcing that the CMA is not treating this as a one-off fight.

For executives, investors, and board members, the second-order question is simple: if steering fees can be forced lower in the UK, what happens to platform economics everywhere else that watches UK regulatory signals? The decision-making impact is immediate for app developers dependent on platform distribution, and it is strategic for platforms that must price compliance risk into future fee design. If the CMA follows through with requirements that reduce steering costs while demanding robust evidence-led fee justification, it could reshape negotiations across mobile, payments, and the cost of customer acquisition inside ecosystems.