Apple and Google have agreed to enhance transparency in their app store vetting processes under a voluntary agreement with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The tech firms will avoid discriminating against third-party apps and will not misuse data from these apps. However, the CMA’s commitments have been described as “lightweight” by Tom Smith, a competition lawyer. The CMA retains the power to impose formal changes if the companies fail to comply. Sarah Cardell, CMA chief executive, said: “The ability to secure immediate commitments reflects the unique flexibility of the UK digital markets competition regime.”
