The App Store Freedom Act Compromises User Privacy To Punish Big Tech
For years, federal lawmakers and regulators have used their power to penalize Big Tech companies for successfully serving American consumers. Rep. Kat Cammack (R–Fla.) is continuing this trend.
On Tuesday, Cammack introduced the App Store Freedom Act, which intends to promote competition in the digital marketplace by forcing interoperability and open app development requirements on widely used app stores and operating systems. While Cammack says the bill will promote consumer choice, it would unintentionally deny consumers the ability to choose a private, secure, and reliable smartphone experience.
The legislation was introduced less than a week after a federal judge ruled against Apple in a five-year-long antitrust case brought against it by Epic Games. Epic sued Apple in 2020 for “forcing app makers to use its payment system in exchange for access to the App Store,” from which it collects a 30 percent commission, explains The New York Times. The judge ordered Apple in 2022 to allow developers to solicit payment from users outside the App Store and, most recently, forbade Apple from taking any commission on these sales.
The App Store Freedom Act would require smartphone companies with over 100 million users in the U.S. to allow the installation of third-party app stores, as well as third-party apps, on their operating systems. It also forces covered companies to provide third-party developers with free access to all features acces
Article from Reason.com
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