Called the Open App Markets Act, the bill proposes a slew of measures that benefits third-party app stores but might compromise users' safety; it is the latest in America's crackdown on big tech. "For years, Apple and Google have squashed competitors and kept consumers in the dark—pocketing hefty windfalls while acting as supposedly benevolent gatekeepers of this multi-billion dollar market," US Senator Richard Blumenthal said while introducing a new bill targetted at Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store. The bill titled Open App Markets Act is co-sponsored by US Senators Marsha Blackburn and Amy Klobuchar, and it aims to address issues that third-party app developers have long complained about. "This bipartisan bill will help break these tech giants’ ironclad grip, open the app economy to new competitors, and give mobile users more control over their own devices," Blumenthal said. Why it matters? The introduction of this bill comes at a time when Apple and Google are facing multiple legal battles across the world with respect to their app store practices and big tech, in general, is facing increased scrutiny. The main allegations against these platforms are that they charge high commissions and impose unreasonable restrictions on third-party developers. Both of these, along with many other concerns, are addressed by this new bill, which if passed, will upend the world of apps and cause a huge dent in the revenues of Apple and Google. The proposed measures also carry many safety and privacy concerns that have been inadequately addressed by the bill.…
