Blumenthal & Blackburn Announce Markup of Bipartisan Antitrust Legislation to Promote App Store Competition

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a markup of the Open App Markets Act. 

“This step toward Judiciary Committee consideration shows strong bipartisan support for our Open App Markets Act—to stop Apple and Google from crushing competitors and undercutting consumers,” said Blumenthal. “Breaking the ironclad grip of these two behemoths on the multi-billion dollar app market is long overdue. This measure has solid momentum.”

“The Senate Judiciary committee’s markup of the Open App Markets Act will bring us one step closer to holding big tech companies like Apple and Google accountable,” said Blackburn. “Currently, tech giants are forcing their own app stores on users at the expense of innovative start-ups. This legislation will open up the marketplace by allowing consumers to have the ability to download apps not rubber-stamped by Apple and Google. I thank Senator Blumenthal for his leadership and work on this effort.”

Two companies, Google and Apple, have gatekeeper control of the two dominant mobile operating systems and their app stores. Google and Apple’s dominance allows them to exclusively dictate the terms of the app market, inhibiting competition and restricting consumer choice. More information on the legislation is available here.

The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Dick Durbin (D-IL).

The Open App Markets Act has also been endorsed by a number of technology and consumer groups, including Consumer Reports, Internet Accountability Project, Public Citizen, Coalition for App Fairness, Color Of Change, News Media Alliance, Public Knowledge, Lincoln Network, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy (CASE), Digital Progress Institute, Electronic Frontier Foundation, American Principles Project, and the American Economic Liberties Project.

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