A PYMNTS Company

Lawmakers Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Curb Big Tech’s App Store Power

By  |  June 24, 2025

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is reviving a legislative push to curb the dominance of tech giants Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google over the mobile app marketplace, citing concerns of anti-competitive behavior and abusive practices.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    According to Bloomberg, the new proposal — known as the Open App Markets Act — is being introduced by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). The legislation targets practices by Apple and Google that lawmakers say unfairly restrict competition and limit consumer choice within their app store ecosystems.

    Per Bloomberg, the bill would prohibit dominant app store operators from forcing developers to use their in-app payment systems or from blocking consumers’ access to alternative app download methods. It would also require that developers be allowed to direct users to outside websites for purchases — a point of contention in past legal battles involving Apple.

    The Federal Trade Commission would be tasked with enforcing the proposed rules, with violations categorized as unfair or deceptive acts under existing consumer protection laws. Additionally, state attorneys general would be granted authority to pursue legal remedies on behalf of consumers.

    Read more: Australia’s Regulator Cautions Against Big Tech’s Hold on Cloud Services

    The legislative effort comes amid increasing scrutiny of Apple’s business practices on both domestic and international fronts. In April, the European Commission fined the company for breaching the EU’s Digital Markets Act, citing restrictions imposed on developers in the App Store. That same month, a U.S. federal judge held Apple in contempt for failing to comply with a previous order to allow developers to steer users toward alternative payment options — a ruling that stemmed from Apple’s legal battle with video game maker Epic Games.

    The Open App Markets Act shares many of its provisions with the previously proposed App Store Freedom Act, which also sought to dismantle what lawmakers described as monopolistic behavior by app store operators. While that earlier bill failed to advance, sponsors of the newly reintroduced legislation are hopeful that growing bipartisan concern over Big Tech’s influence will help carry this version further through the legislative process.

    Source: Bloomberg