A group of bipartisan senators is now bringing back a bill that would open up the likes of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The Open App Markets Act was initially introduced in 2022, with the Senate Judiciary Committee passing the bill, but it has been stuck there until the present.
Senators never got around to voting into passing or denying the bill, and this was despite the significant efforts of the European Union (EU) in opening app stores in their region under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
US Senators Push Bill to Open Apple, Google App Stores
Senators Marsha Blackburn, Mike Blumenthal, Amy Klobuchar, Dick Durbin, and Mike Lee have reintroduced the bill that pushes to open up Apple and Google’s app stores in the country. According to Engadget’s report, these senators are now bringing it back with similar precedents as the original one, forcing app marketplaces to offer third-party services.
There are over 50,000 monthly users of the app stores in the country, and with this bill, they are set to be required by the law, should it be passed, to allow various features that put the consumer’s needs and wants first.
This bill would mostly affect the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. That being said, Google is already known for allowing third-party payments and sideloading in the United States.
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Open App Markets Act: What Does It Bring?
However, this does not mean that the Open App Markets Act would be limited to opening up the app marketplaces for its payments and sideloading, but it could also give consumers more options to explore in terms of lower prices and alternatives.
According to the senators, the Open App Markets Act would also promote fair competition in app stores and prevent companies from favoring their first-party developments over others.
EU’s DMA Opened Up App Stores
The EU opened the floodgates of many regions aspiring to open up app stores to users through the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The law was lobbied for in the past years but was only enforced in 2024 when the law took effect, and this forced companies designated as gatekeepers to open up their services for consumers.
While Google already allowed third-party payments and sideloading on Android and its Play Store when the DMA came, it was still subject to several provisions that gave users more choices in their experiences.
However, Apple was the one hit significantly with its changes, with the DMA helping open up the iOS and App Store to sideloading, allowing third-party payments, as well as installing third-party app stores in the region.
The United States was onto something similar around the same time as the EU’s DMA was gaining traction, particularly as US senators pushed for the bipartisan bill known as the Open App Markets Act. However, after a significant development three years ago, it was set aside, but it was not entirely forgotten as the latest move now pushes for the bill once again.
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