A new bill in the United States, the App store Freedom Act aims to reduce the power of firms such as Apple and Google over app stores. To be precise, the bill was introduced by Rep. 

Kat Cammack (R-FL) and obligates app store operators with more than 100 million users in the United States to allow third-party app stores and let users make them default. The bill also addresses the control of the companies on the in-app payments and the aim of providing more choices to the developers and the consumers.

Following in the EU’s footsteps:

The U.S. bill is similar to laws enacted in the European Union under which Apple and Google were required to open up their platforms. Due to the EU guidelines and a recent court decision in the Epic v. Apple case, Apple no longer bans links to payment sites. Google has also incorporated features such as the browser choice screen for the Android users in the European region.

Those in favour of the bill claim it will create increased competition and lower prices as well as innovation. Some people may see this as the encroachment of the state into people’s lives, but there is a growing movement for the increased surveillance of Big Tech.

To ensure that they are followed to the letter, the Federal Trade Commission would implement the violations. Besides the fines from the regulations, the companies could also be liable to civil penalties of up to $1 million per violation.

Equal access for developers:

The current legislation also requires that app store owners allow the developers to have access to the APIs, development tools and platform capabilities at no cost and on a non-discriminatory basis. This provision aims at preventing large companies from monopolising mobile platforms and denying the small players a chance to compete.

Third-party stores and payments:

The bill will also allow users to install alternative app stores to Apple’s App Store or Google Play Store and make them the default app store on the device. It would also prohibit app store owners from requiring developers to use their own payment systems, one of the issues that has sparked controversies in recent lawsuits. Instead, they may integrate the third-party payment services into their applications and provide a link to the services.

These changes can lower the cost of mobile apps for the users and increase the control of app developers over their revenues. The consumers would also be able to remove or hide the apps pre-installed into their devices, which is another degree of freedom in customisation.

Despite the fact that the specific names of Apple and Google do not appear in the bill, it is obvious that both fall under the stipulations of the bill. It is designed to shield the developers from unfair competition and to provide the end users with more control over what applications they wish to use and what services they wish to subscribe to.

If enacted into law, the bill would revolutionise how people obtain and pay for mobile applications in the United States.

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