US Senate Introduces Bill to Limit Apple and Google App Store Revenue

[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] On the 11th (local time), the US Senate introduced a bill to limit the app store revenues of Apple and Google.

According to AFP on the 11th (local time), Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar, along with Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, introduced a bill that prohibits Apple and Google from charging commissions through their own payment systems in app stores. Both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store have applied their own payment systems that charge up to 30% commission on in-app purchases to recover transaction amounts.

Apple and Google have argued that charging commissions is fundamental and a fair compensation for developers.

The bill also includes provisions requiring app store operators who control operating systems, like Apple and Google, to allow users to download applications from other app stores.

Apple and Google have long been criticized for making it difficult to purchase apps outside of their own app stores.

Senator Klobuchar criticized, "As mobile technology has become essential in daily life, it has become clear that a few gatekeepers exert astonishing power by controlling app markets and consumers' access to them."

Senator Blumenthal also pointed out, "Apple and Google have suppressed competitors and kept consumers in the dark for years."

The senators cited evidence presented by Epic Games, which filed an antitrust lawsuit last August against Apple and Google's commission policies, when introducing the bill.

The Senate Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Subcommittee also pointed out in a hearing held in April that Apple and Google, which operate app markets, abuse their dominance to hinder competition. At that time, not only bipartisan lawmakers but also representatives from companies in the app market, such as music streaming service Spotify and dating app company Match Group, raised issues about Apple and Google's high commissions and strict operating rules.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.