A trio of US Senators set out proposed legislation designed to boost competition in the mobile app market, and challenge the apparent dominant position of Apple and Google.
The cross-party US Open Apps Market Act document was introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn, Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar. It is also backed by FCC commissioner Brendan Carr alongside a number of technology sector organisations and consumer interest groups.
If introduced, the act will give developers the right to inform consumers about lower prices and offer their own pricing. It would also mean Google and Apple will be required to allow the installation of apps on devices running their operating systems from outside their own marketplaces, among other developer-targeted and consumer-focused measures.
In a joint statement the politicians accused Apple and Google of holding “gatekeeper control of the two dominant mobile operating systems” with their respective stores, allowing them to “exclusively dictate the terms of the app market, inhibiting competition and restricting consumer choice”.
Blackburn claimed in a statement the tech giants were protecting their own profits at the expense of start-ups.
In his statement, Blumenthal added the companies had “squashed competitors and kept consumers in the dark”.
The move is the latest by authorities in various countries [1] targeting curbs on Google and Apple [2] to open up the app market.
Both have also faced various legal action and fines [3] related to app store policies [4].
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/apps/news-apps/australia-watchdog-moves-to-open-up-app-market
[2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/apps/news-apps/germany-probes-apple
[3] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/apps-home-banner/google-monopoly-lawsuit
[4] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/apps-home-banner/russia-fines-apple-for-apps-market-abuse
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