[ad_1]
A bill to blunt the alleged monopoly power of Apple and Google gets overwhelming Senate approval Judicial Committee On Thursday, the pressure for companies’ app stores is moving towards a final assessment by the entire chamber.
The Open App Markets Act, which will set rules for Apple and Google’s app stores, passed the committee with a 21 to 1 vote. While other senators expressed concern that the bill still needs work, Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn voted against it.
The bill will prevent platforms with more than 50 million users, primarily Apple and Google, from requiring app developers to use a payment system controlled by Big Tech giants. It will also prevent tech companies from giving developers less favorable terms and conditions if they shop around for better pricing arrangements.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill, said passing the bill would mean cheaper prices, more innovation and better products for consumers, as well as greater protection by opening up the “walled garden” controlled by Big Tech.
Mr. Blumenthal, who previously compared social media platforms to the tobacco industry, compared Apple and Google to the railroad monopolies of the 1900s this time.
“Today, the simple, unequivocal truth is that the rails are owned by Google and Apple. They own the rails of the app economy as much as the railroad companies at the beginning of the last century,” said Mr. Blumenthal. Judicial Committee meeting on the bill. “A market worth nearly $100 billion a year, and the dominance of gatekeepers allows them to dictate the terms of the market.”
Apple and Google have opposed antitrust legislation affecting their businesses. They also deal with legal disputes and scrutiny of other countries’ business practices. Video game and software developer Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple for alleged antitrust violations through its app store policies is pending and looks set to go to federal appeals court.
The European Union and the UK are among foreign organizations that have launched an investigation against Apple.
Google faced similar scrutiny last week, with attorneys general from three states and territories announcing that they would file lawsuits against Google over allegations that the company misled people about how it tracked their location.
Apple wrote Judicial Committee Against the Open Application Markets Act this week. Timothy Powderly, Apple’s Senior Director of Government Affairs for the Americas, wrote that the bill would harm consumer privacy and safety, and harm consumer welfare and competition.
“We are deeply concerned that unless the law is changed, it will make it easier for major social media platforms to avoid the pro-consumer apps of Apple’s App Store and allow them to continue with their business as usual,” Powderly said in the letter. . “It does this by requiring Apple to allow sideloading of apps and app stores that don’t need to comply with the App Store’s pro-consumer privacy protections.”
The Washington Times received a copy of the letter.
Apple and Google have some influential allies in their fight with senators over antitrust legislation targeting app stores. The US Chamber of Commerce is on the corner of Apple and Google and Judicial Committee slow down.
Mr Cornyn made a similar claim at Thursday’s meeting.
“While this law is geared towards stopping abuses, I am concerned that it will lead to a situation where consumers are unable to protect their personal data or keep malware out of their devices,” Cornyn said. “I want answers to these questions, so I wish we had an opportunity for a full committee session.”
Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar accused him of making Big Tech’s bid.
“I’m looking at some of your bills for prescription drugs that make up a large part of our economy, Senator Cornyn, it went without a hitch,” said Ms. Klobuchar. “I see this as another argument from tech companies, another way to procrastinate. They’ve successfully delayed it for decades, so we did nothing.”
Republicans have failed in their attempts to take measures to address other concerns, such as alleged political censorship online. Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz raised the issue of Apple and Google’s launch of social media platform Parler from their platforms last year, proposing a change to stop discrimination by today’s oligarchs.
“This amendment only provides a neutral standard, as if you are a monopolist, you cannot discriminate against a practice based on political opinions or religious belief,” said Mr. Cruz.
Judicial Committee Illinois Democrat President Dick Durbin opposed Mr. Cruz’s change as it entered “difficult territory.”
“I don’t believe incitement to violence to protect political speech, I don’t believe antisemitic hate speech is to protect political speech, that’s my interpretation,” Durbin said. “And if we open up those possibilities, I think we’re in a very different discussion.”
So far, tech legislation focused on antitrust issues has gained more momentum than those focused on censorship. This Judicial Committee Last month, it filed two antitrust bills that put Apple and Google in trouble.
The American Innovation and Choice Online Act advanced in January. It will prevent technology companies such as Apple and Google from preferring their products on their platforms. The Open App Markets Act, put forward Thursday, was jointly supported by five Democrats and six Republicans.
[ad_2]
Source link