The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Wednesday a proposal that would give Apple and Google’s mobile platforms “strategic market status” — a designation that allows the regulator to create rules that could change how their app stores operate and how their mobile software works.
The move is designed to create a more open, competitive environment for the app economy and user choice. However, Apple and Google have pushed back at the proposals, with Apple saying changes would compromise user security and privacy. A final decision on the matter will arrive in October, after the two companies present their cases.