The Domino Effect: Will Apple Be Next to Face UK’s New Tech Regulator?

With Google now officially in the regulatory spotlight, the big question in the tech world is: will Apple be next? The Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) action against Google is likely the first domino to fall, with a separate investigation into the mobile ecosystems of both Apple and Google already well underway.
The same law used to designate Google—the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024—is being used to assess the power of Apple’s iOS platform and its App Store. Many of the same arguments for designating Google could also apply to Apple. The company operates as a powerful gatekeeper to the mobile world, controlling which apps can reach a vast user base and setting the terms for developers.
If the CMA were to designate Apple with “strategic market status,” it could lead to similarly transformative remedies. The regulator could force Apple to allow alternative app stores on iPhones (“sideloading”) or permit developers to use their own payment systems, bypassing Apple’s commission. These are changes that Apple has fiercely resisted around the world.
The case against Google’s search dominance is partly built on its deals with Apple to be the default search engine on iOS. By investigating both companies simultaneously, the CMA is showing that it understands how these tech giants reinforce each other’s market power. A coordinated approach that places rules on both Google’s search business and Apple’s mobile platform could be far more effective than tackling either one in isolation.
Therefore, the action against Google is not just a standalone event. It’s the opening move in a broader strategy to rebalance the UK’s digital markets, and Apple is almost certainly the next major player on the CMA’s chessboard.