U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) on May 6 sponsored a bill that would prohibit unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the app marketplace.
“We must continue to hold Big Tech accountable and promote competition that allows all players to enter the field,” Rep. Cammack said. “For too long, consumers and developers have borne the brunt of anti-competitive practices on major app store marketplaces.”
The App Store Freedom Act, H.R. 3209, seeks to promote competition and protect consumers and developers in the mobile app marketplace by prohibiting certain anticompetitive practices by dominant app store operators, according to a bill summary provided by the congresswoman’s staff.
Specifically, H.R. 3209 would require large app store operators having more than 100 million U.S. users to allow users to set third-party apps or app stores as default; install apps or app stores outside of the dominant platform; and remove or hide pre-installed apps.
Additionally, the bill would direct companies to provide developers equal access to interfaces, features, and development tools without cost or discrimination, the summary says.
“Dominant app stores have controlled customer data and forced consumers to use the marketplaces’ own merchant services, instead of the native, in-app offerings provided by the applications and developers themselves,” said Rep. Cammack. “The results are higher prices and limited selections for consumers and anti-competitive practices for developers that have stifled innovation.”
If enacted, H.R. 3209 also would prohibit app stores from forcing developers to use the company’s in-app payment system, imposing pricing parity requirements, and punishing developers for distributing their apps elsewhere.
“At its core, this bill seeks to promote a competitive marketplace for consumers and developers, ensuring U.S. mobile users can choose the applications, payment methods and platforms that are best for them without unduly forcing developers to comply or the pay the price — both literally and figuratively — for straying from the dominant marketplaces’ preferences,” Rep. Cammack added.
Spotify and the Coalition for App Fairness have endorsed H.R. 3209.