A Missed Opportunity as Administration Reveals Further Details of U.S. – EU Trade Deal
WASHINGTON – Statement from Morgan Reed, president of ACT | The App Association: “Today’s announcement doesn’t include much that we already didn’t know and leaves out the biggest non-tariff trade barriers impacting small tech companies in the United States and in Europe” said Morgan Reed, president of ACT | The App Association. “We welcome the additional commitment from the EU to continue supporting a World Trade Organization (WTO) moratorium on customs duties on electronic commerce, and their restatement of [...]
The Gerrymandering Happening Below the Fold
As partisan tensions boil over in Texas and California, where the respective minority parties cry foul over redistricting, federal antitrust enforcers and private plaintiffs are doing some gerrymandering of their own. In a win-at-all-costs approach, the plaintiffs are sacrificing the interests of small business app developers and consumers in order to pursue other goals. The lawsuits at issue take aim at the day-to-day services and tools of curated online marketplaces (COMs) and social media platforms. For ACT | [...]
Developed: EU Tour Recap – Part 1
What do European startups want policymakers to focus on? We went on a five-week, nine-city “Developed: EU” tour to find out. From May to June 2025, ACT | The App Association hit the road on a multi-city trek across Europe to meet with members of the tech ecosystem, from startups and scaleups to investors to policymakers. Our mission was to learn about their priorities and concerns when it comes to the health and growth of the app economy. A [...]
Tea, Trust, and the Trouble with Age Verification Mandates
What the recent Tea app breach teaches us about age verification, trust, and the cost of age verification mandates for developers and kids alike What happens when an app built for safety becomes the source of harm? The now-infamous app Tea, designed to help women protect themselves while dating men, asked users to upload selfies holding their government-issued ID. That voluntary safety feature resulted in the collection of some of the most sensitive personal data an app [...]
Mid-Year Roundup: 2025—Public Policy Changes Shaping Android Development
As we reach the midpoint of 2025, mobile app developers—especially those working on Android—are navigating a public policy environment that is rapidly evolving on multiple fronts. This year, we’ve already seen major developments across privacy, artificial intelligence (AI), app marketplace rules, child safety, and federal taxation. Below, we’ve outlined key information you need to anticipate compliance needs, spot opportunities, and understand new pressures shaping app development and business strategy. The State Patchwork: Privacy Legislation Expands Once again, the United [...]