Criticism of the stores for apps and games is growing worldwide because large providers have built up a monopoly on their platforms. The focus is primarily on Apple, which is even stricter on the iPhone than Google is on Android.
And in the US there has now been some movement because the “Open App Markets Act” has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. Next up is a vote in the US Senate and then the House of Representatives before Joe Biden can sign. It’s still a long way from legislation, but the chances are good.
Despite massive lobbying by the big players, Republicans and Democrats agree that the giant tech companies need more regulation. And currently, there would be a rule that could harm Apple.
It’s billions for Apple
From a size of 50 million users (in the USA), the providers are not allowed to keep their stores closed. In concrete terms, this means that other payment methods and the option to install apps outside of the stores must be installed. The last option is called sideloading and is currently causing Apple panic.
Open letters and lobbyists have been advertising for months that this is dangerous for users and would harm them. Above all, it would hurt Apple’s sales if users bought their apps directly from the developers because then you would lose the commission.
Apple makes a lot of money from the share you get when you buy an app or game through the App Store (this also applies to subscriptions). And it is precisely this source of income (we are talking about high billions) that is now in danger.
Let’s see how things go with the “Open App Markets Act”, there is now debate and argument and I am sure that Apple and Co. will continue to take massive action against it. And should this step come in the USA, then iOS would have to be adapted, so it should then also affect us.