LONDON, Aug 28 - Apple ( AAPL ) said on Thursday

Britain's plans to increase competition in the mobile operating

system market could harm users and developers, and potentially

force the company to share its technology with foreign

competitors for free.

Last month, Britain's competition regulator

told

Apple ( AAPL ) and Android-owner Google to be fairer in how they

distribute apps on their mobile platforms, setting out possible

interventions as it plans to designate the U.S. tech companies

with strategic market status over their duopoly.

Apple ( AAPL ) said such a designation by Britain's Competition

and Markets Authority (CMA) would undermine privacy and security

protections and limit innovation in the sector.

"We're concerned these EU-style rules the UK is advancing

are bad for users and bad for developers," an Apple ( AAPL ) spokesperson

said.

"This approach undermines the privacy and security

protections our users have come to expect, hampers our ability

to innovate, and forces us to give away our technology for free

to foreign competitors."

Designating Apple ( AAPL ) and Google with strategic market status

would allow the regulator to impose behavioural rules to promote

fair competition.

The CMA is due to make a final decision in October.

Apple ( AAPL ) said the CMA's roadmap for the sector prioritises

measures including interoperability, which would require Apple ( AAPL )

to make its systems more compatible with third-party apps and

services. It also focuses on so-called steering, which would let

developers direct users to make purchases outside of Apple's ( AAPL ) App

Store.

The company says these changes could expose users to scams

and reduce its ability to invest in new technologies. It also

questioned the evidence base used by the CMA, citing limited

developer feedback and survey data.

Apple ( AAPL ) said it competes with companies such as Samsung and

Google, and warned that the regulator's proposals could create

an uneven playing field.

A CMA spokesperson said Britain's approach to digital market

regulation differs significantly from the European Union model,

offering more flexibility to tailor solutions that are

proportionate and practical for both businesses and consumers.

"Driving greater competition on mobile platforms need not

undermine privacy, security or intellectual property," it said.