“This bill is a mistake,” said Morgan Reed, president of ACT | The App Association. “Without a federal privacy and data security framework, this bill sacrifices consumer protections and small businesses to fill the coffers of multi-billion-dollar companies that want free distribution from mobile platform operators. This is another example of how small businesses and entrepreneurs are being crushed underfoot while 800-pound gorilla tech companies are fighting it out.”

Background

ACT | The App Association continues its opposition to the Open App Markets Act (OAMA).

OAMA  (S. ____) fails to protect small businesses, like our members, and consumers. Provisions in the bill would:

  • Allow more malware, copycat apps, and fraudulent reviews to remain available by presumptively prohibiting the most basic management functions small app companies depend on most and requiring third-party app stores with no consumer protections access to consumers’ devices and sensitive data
  • Reduce choice and competition in application delivery options for developers by mandating that mobile software platforms operate like flea markets
  • Allow for increased cyberattacks on mobile devices because mobile software platforms would be required to allow sideloading, which is virtually the only way criminals can bypass technical security features
  • Drive up costs for small businesses by forcing app stores to replace the current progressive fee structure that favors the smallest app companies with a regressive fee structure, so that small app companies foot the bill for the largest, digital-only goods and services companies

About ACT | The App Association & Members

The App Association is a global trade association for small and medium-sized technology companies. Our members are entrepreneurs, innovators, and independent developers within the global app ecosystem that engage with verticals across every industry. We work with and for our members to promote a policy environment that rewards and inspires innovation while providing resources that help them raise capital, create jobs, and continue to build incredible technology.