In just 14 short years, the app economy emerged out of nowhere to become an €830 billion ecosystem. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the app economy thrived and played a key role in sustaining our work, studies, and daily lives. In particular, small app development companies, like ACT | The App Association members, drive the app economy and advance innovation every day.

This whitepaper discusses the importance of security safeguards on software distribution platforms and the role such platforms play in creating trust between small developers and consumers.

Key elements of our white paper include:

  • Small and medium-sized app developers and startups rely on consumer trust to compete with global brands on a level playing field. Building up consumer trust takes a long time and can make or break an app development company.
  • Because consumers trust software distribution platforms, smaller, unknown app makers can gain almost instant consumer trust and access to a global market by having their apps available on these platforms.
  • Legislative proposals like the Digital Markets Act may unintentionally put consumer trust at risk. Focusing on access and contestability in the DMA could make it hard for a platform to combat illegal content or uphold security and privacy standards, opening the gate for malicious actors.
  • Sideloading would allow apps to be available for download without a thorough investigation into their inner workings, making it easier for bad actors to pirate apps, install malware on consumers’ devices or access sensitive data and sensors on the device. As a result, consumers may stop trusting apps from unknown brands, which would be devastating for smaller app developers.
  • The rigorous app review and security measures that the main software distribution platforms employ enable small developers to compete on the same footing as bigger companies with global name recognition.
    Preserving the current security environment on software distribution platforms is crucial to the success of SMEs and startups.

Visualisation by the App Association. Data: MSC, Norton, Guardsquare, and McAfee