Empowering Europe’s Innovators Through the 28th Regime and the European Innovation Act
EU ACTivists for Change: Members join forces to make the Single Market work for startups Across Europe, startups, scaleups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are building world-class products, but their growth path is still more complicated than it should be. EU startups face 27 different systems for incorporation, regulation, and compliance, each with its own rules and paperwork. Two initiatives, the 28th regime and the European Innovation Act, could change that. Together, they represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to [...]
Congress’s App Store Bills Could Weaken Privacy Protections and Hurt Small Developers
Small business developers have long warned that certain competition proposals can unintentionally weaken privacy and security protections for users. This Congress, the issue is back: the App Store Freedom Act (ASFA) and the Open App Markets Act (OAMA). Both bills are pending in Congress, where proponents insist they will improve competition. However, both bills risk doing the opposite by undermining the safeguards that allow small developers to compete. With ASFA potentially moving forward on the House side, we’re highlighting [...]
The UK’s Revised Encryption Backdoor Demand Still Threatens U.S. Privacy and Security
In September 2025, the UK Home Office reportedly served Apple with a technical capability notice (TCN) demanding the company build a backdoor into its cloud storage service for UK users. This order follows an earlier reported attempt to compel Apple to weaken its encrypted Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature. After significant backlash from U.S. policymakers and other commenters, the UK purportedly dropped its demands. The latest TCN revives them with a narrower scope that applies only to UK users, [...]
2025 Holiday Gift Guide
ACT's 2025 Holiday Gift Guide The holiday season is sneaking up fast. Almost as fast as those Black Friday promo emails piling up in your inbox. With the holiday shopping season buzz building, we pulled together a curated list of gifts for every kind of giver, from last-minute shoppers sending apps as presents to the most organized Santa-helpers plotting how to snag 2025’s hottest wearables. So, sit back, relax, and let our tech-inspired elves do the planning for you! App-Powered [...]
ACT | The App Association Supports Injunction Against Texas Law S.B. 2420
WASHINGTON, DC – ACT | The App Association (ACT) calls on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to issue a preliminary injunction halting the effective date of Texas S.B. 2420. “This deeply flawed law is based on a complete misunderstanding of how the app economy works and what parents say they need to keep their kids safe” said Morgan Reed, president of ACT | The App Association. “While well intentioned, the law as written places [...]
European Parliament Continues to Stand Up for Startups, Innovation, and Economic Growth
BRUSSELS – In response to today’s European Parliament Vote to challenge the Commission’s withdrawal of the proposed Standard-Essential Patent (SEP) Regulation: “With a clear majority, today’s vote shows that the European Parliament will not allow the Commission to walk away from much-needed standard-essential patent (SEP) reform without a fight,” said Mike Sax, founder and chairman of ACT | The App Association. “We support this step: Europe’s innovators, especially startups, scaleups, and SMEs, deserve a fair and transparent licensing landscape [...]