ACTivists for Change: An Open Letter to Policymakers in the United Kingdom
ACT | The App Association and a sampling of our United Kingdom (UK)-based member companies urge UK policymakers to adopt forward-thinking, balanced regulatory frameworks that empower small businesses to thrive while addressing emerging risks. Our members are at the forefront of innovation across industries, but they face significant barriers due to fragmented regulations, licensing abuses, and a lack of intentional guidelines. We call on policymakers to prioritise fairness, scalability, and innovation in their actions to ensure that small businesses [...]
Breaking Encryption Will Break More Than Privacy
In February 2025, it was reported that the United Kingdom (UK) Office of the Home Secretary served Apple with a technical capability notice (TCN), a secret legal order demanding that the company build a backdoor that enables access to content Apple users have uploaded to the cloud. The UK issued the notice under the UK Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which enables its law enforcement and intelligence agencies to obtain consumers’ data from technology companies in the course of [...]
The European Commission’s 2025 Work Programme: A Mixed Bag for SMEs
The European Commission has just released its 2025 Work Programme, outlining key initiatives to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and drive regulatory simplification. For independent app developers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), these changes could ease regulatory burdens, but some proposals raise concerns. ACT | The App Association strongly supports many of these initiatives, which align with our mission to foster innovation while ensuring a business-friendly environment. While the programme offers SMEs a lot of hope and support, one potential [...]
AfroTech 2024: Bridging Technology and Health Equity Policy
At AfroTech 2024, the Black Legislative Leaders Network (BLLN) convened a groundbreaking policy roundtable to explore how technology can help close systemic health disparities in underserved communities. With support from Linda Wilson, Fund II Foundation, Qualtrics, and Texas Southern University, the discussion reinforced AfroTech’s evolution into not just a conference but also a catalyst for innovation and action. As one of the largest gatherings of Black technologists and entrepreneurs, AfroTech is more than a space for networking; it’s a [...]