To prohibit unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the app marketplace, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Fry introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The App Store Freedom Act breaks the control that Apple and Google have over their app stores. It requires these tech giants to let smartphone and computer users install apps from sources other than the official app stores, choose alternative app stores as their default, and delete pre-installed apps they do not want. The bill aims to increase competition and give consumers more choice in the apps they use.
Who Benefits and How
Third-party app developers and alternative app stores gain the most. They would have the right to access the same technical features (like hardware and software interfaces) that Apple and Google give to their own apps, creating a more level playing field. Consumers benefit by gaining the freedom to choose where they get their apps and to use alternative payment systems that may charge lower fees. Small app developers who currently pay up to 30% commissions to Apple and Google could offer their apps through alternative channels with lower or no fees.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Apple and Google (classified as "covered companies" with app stores exceeding 100 million US users) face the primary burden. They must open their platforms to competitors, provide equal access to their operating system features, and face civil penalties of up to $1 million per violation enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. These companies may lose significant revenue from their current commission-based app store models. They also cannot use the non-public business data they collect from developers to compete unfairly against those same developers.
Key Provisions
- Requires covered companies to allow users to install third-party apps and app stores outside of the official app store
- Mandates that developers receive equal access to operating system interfaces, hardware features, and software features on the same terms as the platform owner
- Prohibits covered companies from using non-public business information collected from developers to compete against those developers
- Imposes civil penalties of up to $1 million per violation, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission
- Preempts state laws that would either prohibit or require the same conduct, while preserving state authority over fraud and data breach matters
- Takes effect 180 days after the FTC issues compliance guidance
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
The bill aims to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive practices in the app marketplace by promoting competition, ensuring user choice, and enforcing regulations.
Policy Domains
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The Federal Trade Commission, responsible for enforcing the Act and imposing penalties on violators.
An operating system configuration that includes the software and hardware required to run apps.
A person who owns or controls an app or an app store.
Non-public data derived from a developer's interactions with their app or app store, collected by the covered company.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology