Senators Marsha Blacburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) Dick Durbin (D-Sick.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have reintroduced a invoice that might pressure app retailer homeowners like Apple and Google to permit third-party cost methods and sideloading apps, amongst a set of different developer-friendly adjustments. The invoice, referred to as the Open App Markets App, was initially launched in 2021, but it surely by no means got here up for a vote after passing via the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2022.
The Open App Markets Act applies its adjustments to app shops with 50,000 month-to-month customers or extra, most clearly relevant to the Apple App Retailer and the Google Play Retailer. Like the unique invoice, the reintroduced Open App Markets Act desires lined firms to permit issues like sideloading, third-party app shops and various funds methods, whereas defending builders capability to “inform customers about decrease costs and supply aggressive pricing.” It will additionally stop app retailer operators from privileging their very own apps and companies in app retailer search outcomes.
“We created the App Retailer to be a secure and trusted expertise our customers love and a incredible enterprise alternative for builders within the U.S. and world wide. We face intense competitors in all places we function, and we’re proud to be an engine for innovation and financial development,” an Apple spokesperson says. “We’re involved this EU-style regulation will open our customers to new privateness and safety dangers, and can proceed to advocate on their behalf.”
Whereas the goals of the brand new invoice are largely the identical as the unique one, the authorized atmosphere is meaningfully totally different. Apple has been compelled to enable third-party app shops and various cost methods within the European Union following the introduction of the Digital Markets Act in 2022. Due to its failure to make good on the small concession Epic received by way of its lawsuit, Apple has additionally been compelled to permit builders to direct clients to pay for issues exterior of the App Retailer and its in-app funds system. The Open App Markets Act would make these sorts of adjustments the regulation within the US.
It appears doable the invoice might go, too. Regulatory stress on tech firms has solely elevated since 2021. For instance, Utah just lately handed an age-verification regulation that might require app shops to solely enable customers 18 and as much as make an account.
Replace, June 26 2025, 1:51PM ET: Added remark from Apple.
