Senators Marsha Blacburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have reintroduced a bill that would force app store owners like Apple and Google to allow third-party payment systems and sideloading apps, among a collection of other developer-friendly Changes. The bill, called the “Open App Market” app, was originally launched in 2021, but has never voted after it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2022.
Open App Markets Act applies its changes to the app store with 50,000 monthly or more users, most notably for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Like the original bill, the reintroduced Open App Markets Act hopes to cover companies that allow companies such as bypass tiers, third-party app stores and alternative payment systems, while protecting developers’ ability to “tell consumers about lower prices and offer competitive prices.” It will also prevent App Store operators from privileged their apps and services in App Store search results.
“We created an app store, which is a safe and trustworthy experience, and our users love developers in the U.S. and around the world. We face intense competition anywhere we operate, and we are proud to be an engine of innovation and economic growth,” an Apple spokesperson said. “We are worried that this EU-style regulation will put our users at new privacy and security risks and will continue to advocate on their behalf.”
Although the purpose of the new bill is roughly the same as that of the original bill, the legal environment is meaningfully different. After the introduction of the Digital Markets Act in 2022, Apple was forced to allow third-party app stores and alternative payment systems in the EU. Apple has also been forced to direct developers to pay for items outside of the App Store and its In-App Payments Systems because it failed to win an epic victory in the small franchise through its lawsuit. The Open Application Market Act will make U.S. law change such laws.
The bill seems likely to pass, too. Since 2021, regulatory pressure on technology companies has only increased.
Updated, June 26, 2025, 1:51 PM ET Added Apple’s comment.
