Apple and Google pledge not to discriminate against third-party apps in UK deal
Apple and Google have committed to avoid discriminating against apps that compete with their own products under an agreement with the UK’s competition watchdog, as they avoided legally binding measures for their mobile platforms,The US tech companies have vowed to be more transparent about vetting third-party apps before letting them on their app stores and not discriminate against third-party apps in app search rankings,They have also agreed not to use data from third-party apps unfairly, such as using information about app updates to tweak their own offerings,Apple has also committed to giving app developers an easier means of requesting use of its features such as the digital wallet, and live translation for AirPod users,The commitments have been secured as part of a new regulatory regime overseen by the Competition and Markets Authority, (CMA), which has the power to impose changes on how Apple and Google operate their mobile platforms after deciding last year that they had “substantial, entrenched” market power.
However, the CMA has opted to allow voluntary commitments rather than impose formal changes.Tom Smith, a competition lawyer at Geradin Partners and a former CMA director who represents app developers challenging Apple and Google’s dominance of the mobile platform market, said the changes were “lightweight” and had no legal bite.The CMA did not name specific Google and Apple apps that compete with third-party rivals but both firms offer their own music services in the form of YouTube Music and Apple Music.Google and Apple’s app stores are vital shopfronts for app developers because the Android and iOS platforms are used by the overwhelming majority of UK mobile phone users.However, the commitments do not cover a significant bugbear for app developers – the fees of up to 30% that Apple and Google charge developers to sell products via their app stores.
The CMA is still considering whether to tackle how Apple and Google charge developers,The CMA said if the companies fail to implement the commitments effectively they will impose them formally under new enforcement powers against tech companies,The commitments take effect on 1 April,Sarah Cardell, the chief executive of the CMA, said: “The ability to secure immediate commitments from Apple and Google reflects the unique flexibility of the UK digital markets competition regime and offers a practical route to swiftly address the concerns we’ve identified,”Under the commitments, Apple and Google must provide data to the regulator showing the number of apps submitted for review and whether they were approved or rejected, plus the time taken to review those apps as well as the number of complaints received about the app stores and the outcomes of those processes.
The CMA will also monitor the outcome of applications to use the features and functionality within Apple’s mobile operating systems, such as the digital wallet.Smith said: “This first batch is so lightweight that it barely exists, and the promises made by Google and Apple are not legally binding in any case.“The main measures that could help with cost of living and economic growth issues may come later this year, such as forcing Apple to allow alternative app stores on its devices and to allow customers to avoid paying Apple’s commission.”The News Media Association, whose members include the Guardian, questioned whether the commitments were “really worth the paper they are printed on”.An Apple spokesperson said the company faced “fierce competition” in every market it operates in.
“The commitments announced today allow Apple to continue advancing important privacy and security innovations for users and great opportunities for developers.We appreciate the positive and ongoing dialogue with UK officials.” they said.A Google spokesperson said its mobile ecosystem, including its Google Play app store, was a “driver of growth” in the UK economy.“While we believe Play’s existing developer practices are fair, objective, and transparent, we welcome the opportunity to resolve the CMA’s concerns collaboratively,” they said.
A new town for the 21st century? Seven-village build to begin after 20-year journey
After two decades of legal wrangling and planning bottlenecks, the first bricks will finally be laid on a project being hailed by developers as the blueprint for the future of community building in Britain.Gilston in east Hertfordshire will be transformed into a network of seven interconnected villages, comprising 10,000 new homes nestled within a sprawling 660-hectare (1,630-acre) landscape of country parks and woodland.Greg Reed, the chief executive of Places for People (PfP), the social enterprise leading the development, said the timeline of the project served as a reminder of the sluggishness of the UK planning system.“PfP’s journey with Gilston started at the same time my 20-year-old son was born,” Reed says. “I was thinking about all the things that have happened in his life … and it’s a bit depressing
The troubling rise of longevity fixation syndrome: ‘I was crushed by the pressure I put on myself’
It was a pitta bread that finally broke Jason Wood. It arrived with hummus instead of the vegetable crudites he had preordered in a restaurant that he had painstakingly researched, as he always did, weeks before he and his husband visited. “In that moment, I just snapped,” he recalls. “I hit rock bottom, I got angry … I started crying, I started shaking. I just felt like I couldn’t do it any more, like I had been crushed by all this pressure I put on myself
The sneeze secret: how much should you worry about this explosive reflex?
It is one of the most powerful involuntary actions the human body can perform. But is a big sneeze a sign of illness, pollution or something else entirely?How worried should we be about a sneeze? It depends who you ask. In the Odyssey, Telemachus sneezes after Penelope’s prayer that her husband will soon be home to sort out her house-sitting suitors – which she sees as a good omen for team Odysseus, and very bad news for the suitors. In the Anabasis, Xenophon takes a sneeze from a soldier as godly confirmation that his army can fight their way back to their own territory – great news for them – while St Augustine notes, somewhat disapprovingly, that people of his era tend to go back to bed if they sneeze while putting on their slippers. But is a sneeze an omen of anything apart from pathogens, pollen or – possibly – air pollution?“It’s a physical response to get rid of something that’s irritating your body,” says Sheena Cruickshank, an immunologist and professor at the University of Manchester
People with dementia are still people, with joys and interests of their own | Letters
Well said, Jo Glanville (Reading was the key to breaking through the fog of my parents’ dementia, 1 February). Our mother lived with vascular dementia for many years, but she wasn’t “dead” or “as good as dead”. Far too many people believe this, even people whose loved ones have had dementia, and it’s a dangerous belief that undermines the rights of people who are already extremely vulnerable.Mum was alive and herself right to the end, even when she had become bedbound and crippled, even when somebody who could once have chatted for England barely spoke any more. But in those last few years, when she could no longer read for herself, Dad or I (or my brothers when they visited) read to her every day, and even when she didn’t say much, I could tell by the expression on her face whether she was enjoying it or not
NHS hiring bans in cancer units shortsighted and dangerous, doctors warn
Hospitals have banned units that diagnose and treat cancer from hiring doctors as part of an NHS cost-cutting drive, despite the growing demand for care.Exactly half of the UK’s 60 specialist cancer treatment centres had a freeze on recruiting clinical oncologists imposed on them during 2025, more than double the 13 (23%) seen the year before.Similarly, more than a third (36%) of the 160 radiology departments – which perform and analyse scans – were subjected to a ban last year on hiring clinical radiologists, up from 19% in 2024, according to information supplied by 138 of the UK’s 160 such units.The Royal College of Radiologists, which collected the figures, warned that the dramatic rise in staffing freezes could lead to “dangerous” delays in cancers being spotted and treated.Dr Stephen Harden, the RCR’s president, criticised the bans as “shortsighted”, bad for patients, damaging to NHS personnel’s morale and likely to cost more money in the long term
Menstrual blood test could offer alternative to cervical screening for cancer
A pioneering test of period blood for signs of cervical cancer could be a convenient, non-invasive and accurate way of screening for the disease, researchers have said.A regular sanitary pad topped with a blood sample strip can pick up human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer, and could be used by women at home, the results of a study indicate.Currently, most women undergo cervical screening under the care of a clinician, who collects a sample via a brush inserted into the vagina. But millions of women invited for screening do not attend.Researchers in China compared the diagnostic accuracy of menstrual blood with samples collected by a clinician for detecting cervical cell abnormalities (CIN2 and CIN3), which can require treatment
Maro Itoje restored as England captain for Calcutta Cup trip to Scotland
US figure skater Amber Glenn resolves Winter Olympics music dispute with Canadian artist
Winter Olympics officials find fix for broken medals and promise repairs
Ukrainian accuses IOC of ‘betrayal’ for banning helmet with images of dead athletes
Jos Buttler insists ‘dressing room knows the truth’ about McCullum’s qualities
The Breakdown | Test rugby coaches have a shelf life and Townsend must know he’s near the end