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US House of Representatives passes the bill against App Store monopolists

Two members of the US House of Representatives have tabled a bill to address the dominance of Apple and Google in their app stores. It is an addition to the same bill that was tabled in the Senate this week.

The bill was presented on Friday by a Democratic and a Republican member of the House of Representatives, writes Reuters. It follows the same bill by three US senators, who want to limit the dominant positions of tech companies such as Apple and Google in their respective app stores. That proposal was submitted to the Senate on Wednesday.

Among other things, politicians want to prevent tech companies from forcing developers to use their payment systems. American politicians also want to require that companies that make an operating system make it possible for users to install third-party app stores.

According to politicians, if this Open App Markets Act is passed, it should be easier for developers to introduce their own payment systems into their apps, among other things. It should also provide more space for third-party app stores on mobile platforms. Android already offers support for such app stores, but Apple does not yet allow it on iOS and iPadOS.

“For far too long, companies like Google and Apple have had a stranglehold on app developers, who have been forced to accept the conditions these monopolists set to reach their customers.”Republican Ken Buck reports on Twitter, who submitted the proposal together with Democrat Hank Johnson on Friday.

The app shopping policy of large tech companies such as Apple and Google has been under attack for some time now, for example by Epic Games. That company is currently involved in lawsuits against Apple and Google. Those two companies removed Fortnite from their respective app stores last year, after Epic Games incorporated its own payment system into that game to circumvent Apple and Google commissions. The first hearings in the trial against Apple were held In May and a ruling on that case is expected later this year.




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