House Lawmakers Join Senate in Targeting App Stores (axios.com) 8
House Judiciary lawmakers on Friday introduced legislation meant to boost competition in app stores by setting rules for how companies like Google and Apple control their marketplaces. From a report: The bipartisan bill is the House companion to Senate legislation introduced earlier this week, showing the appetite from both chambers of Congress to take on the app store battle. House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee ranking member Ken Buck (R-Colo.) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) say the Open App Markets Act will allow app developers to tell consumers about lower prices and open up more competition for third-party app stores and payment services.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Bingo. The only reason they care is because they aren't in on it.
Warn-but-dont-forbid compromise (Score:3)
It will either favor consumers and stick it to "big tech", or it will favor big tech and stick it to consumers.
Is a compromise even possible? Apple argues its walled garden keeps riff-raff apps out. One compromise I envision is that Apple be allowed to warn on its OS's if outside apps are not approved/reviewed by Apple yet. And even be allowed to offer alternatives. That way iPhone and Mac users can decide on their own if they want to take the risk. Those who want only curated apps can still get them. Googl
apple can't ban apps for saying apple changes 30% (Score:2)
apple can't ban apps for saying apple changes 30%
Facebook had that issue.
Re: (Score:2)
The problem is a tricky one. Because Apple handles a lot of tech support for the app store, including payments and refunds, so if an app demands money using their own payment system, Apple will be burdened with having to decline refunds for transactions that were never made. That is a classic support nightmare - Apple pawns it off to the developer, who doesn't respond to requests for refunds.
So it might be an interesting few months as parents try to get angry at Apple for refusing to refund that $1000 worth
Re: (Score:2)
App Store prices? (Score:4, Insightful)
Now Apples 20-30% chunk taken out the developers pocket is a good chunk of change. However for us normies who are not trying to sell in these stores, I don't think the prices of such Apps is really that unreasonable. Considering that 20 years ago, we were paying a lot more on average for the crappy bargain bin application then what we pay for a decent app on the store.
If they were concerned about consumer welfare I would put more focus on In-App purchases. And how Apple and Google facilitate such things. But still the cost of most In-App purchases are much cheaper than the 1980's arcade. Pay 25-50 cents to continue.