Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) and Alphabet Inc. Class C (GOOGL.US) have made commitments to modify app store rules to alleviate concerns about anti-competitive behavior to the UK regulators.

The UK antitrust regulator announced that Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) and Alphabet Inc. Class C's parent company Alphabet (GOOGL.US) have committed to a series of adjustments to their app stores to ensure fairness to developers and consumers. This is the first time a major tech company has made such a commitment since the UK digital market rules came into effect. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stated that it has consulted market participants on voluntary commitments made by the two companies regarding data collection, app ranking, and interoperability, among other aspects. The regulator said that these changes will ensure that app developers receive "fairer terms" and enable other businesses to compete with Apple Inc.'s digital wallet services. This announcement marks the first substantive changes made by US tech companies since the UK digital market system came into effect last year. A spokesperson for Apple Inc. stated, "The commitments announced today allow Apple Inc. to continue driving important privacy and security innovations for users and creating significant opportunities for developers." Previously, the antitrust regulator found that the two companies constitute a duopoly and have a "strategic market position" in the mobile platform market essentially setting up a regulatory framework to constrain the behavior of tech giants. Under this rule, the CMA can impose behavioral requirements on the companies, including making it easier for users to download apps and pay for content outside of Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. Class C's own platforms. Any investigation could open the door to further measures (such as injunctions and fines) to promote competition in the mobile ecosystem market. CMA research found that the app economy in the UK accounts for approximately 1.5% of its GDP, and Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. Class C's mobile platforms operate on almost all mobile devices. The two companies will implement these changes starting in April. A spokesperson for Alphabet Inc. Class C stated that their app store practices are "fair, objective, and transparent," and these commitments will address CMA's concerns cooperatively.