Media: Press Release

IAP Joins Letter Urging Senate to Pass the Open App Markets Act

January 31, 2022

WASHINGTON — The Internet Accountability Project signed on to a letter, first reported by Fox Business, to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee urging the passage of the Open App Markets Act, bipartisan legislation that promotes more fairness and openness of the app store marketplace, an arena dominated by two Big Tech behemoths, Apple and Google.

“Approximately 99 percent of smartphones globally run on just two operating systems: Apple iOS and Google Android. Gatekeeper control over these two operating systems and their app stores allow these two companies, Apple and Alphabet (Google), which have a combined market capitalization of more than $4 trillion, to exclusively dictate – without checks and balances – the rules of the road for app developers. This monopoly power stifles innovation and competition, hurts consumers and small businesses, and creates an unequal playing field where some app developers are required to pay a 30 percent tax,” said the letter.

“The Open App Markets Act will inject needed competition into the app market and remove a barrier to entry for small developers. Furthermore, consumers will have more choices and enjoy lower prices. We believe the argument to support the legislation is compelling, but Apple and Google will not go quietly. Over the coming days, the Big Tech Industrial Complex – which includes various think tanks, academic centers, and advocacy groups – will be flooding the airwaves and your inboxes with fear mongering messages about how the world will end if Congress passes the Open App Markets Act,” said the letter.

“The bottom line is that the current system is rigged. Some app developers get special treatment from the monopolists, others are forced to pay a 30 percent tax, while others have a massive barrier to entry. Meanwhile, consumers are left holding the bag to pay higher prices with less choice. It’s time to bring competition back into the market. The Open App Markets Act will help make it happen,” the letter concluded.

The full letter can be found here.