0 Comments
Called ‘The App Store Freedom Act,’ this new bill would legally require companies such as Apple and Google to allow other app stores and payment methods on their devices.
The legal system looks set to diminish Apple and Google’s dominance over the app stores market.
American politician Kat Cammack has introduced a new bill called ‘The App Store Freedom Act.’ It would require ‘large app store operators’ to allow third-party app stores onto their platforms. Google and Apple would be legally obligated to break up their monopoly of app downloads and payments.
The bill reads that it aims to ‘promote competition and protect consumers and developers in the mobile app marketplace.’ It would also give phone users the choice to make other app stores their default option, rather than Apple or Google’s versions.
Neither big tech company is mentioned directly, though the bill defines ‘large app store operators’ as any that have over 100 million users in the US.
According to a press release, this new bill would push Apple and Google to offer developers ‘equal access to interfaces, features, and development tools without cost or discrimination.’ Pre-installed apps could also be removed or hidden.
Any refusal to follow these rules could result in penalties from the Federal Trade Commission, as well a civil penalty of up to $1 million USD per offense.
This is the latest in a long string of legal battles and controversies surrounding Apple and its tight grip on the App Store.
Epic Games famously removed Fortnite from all iPhone devices in protest of in-app payment systems five years ago. The advertisement was…quite something, to say the least.
