A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The App Store Freedom Act aims to prevent unfair or deceptive practices within the app marketplace. It requires covered companies that control an operating system and an app store to allow users to choose third-party defaults, install third-party apps through other means, and delete pre-installed apps. The bill mandates that these companies provide app developers with access to hardware and software features on terms equivalent to those used by the company itself. It further prohibits exclusivity requirements, such as forcing the use of specific in-app payment systems, and prevents companies from using nonpublic business information to compete with developers. Enforcement is handled by the Federal Trade Commission and State attorneys general.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +8
Does this put more rules on large technology companies?
The bill imposes significant new requirements on large companies that control major operating systems and app stores.
- Scored +7
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill assists app developers by ensuring they have equivalent access to hardware and software features without additional costs.
- Scored +6
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill prohibits unfair or deceptive practices and prevents companies from using nonpublic business information to compete against developers.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased User Choice: Users can choose a third-party app or app store as a default, install apps through means other than the company's own store, or hide/delete pre-installed apps (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Fairer Competition for Developers: Companies must provide developers access to the operating system's interfaces, hardware, and software features without cost and on equivalent terms to those used by the company or its partners (Section 2(a)(2)).
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Protection Against Unfair Pricing and Terms: The bill prohibits companies from requiring developers to use specific in-app payment systems or forcing them to match pricing/terms on the company's platform (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Freedom from Punitive Actions: Developers cannot be punished or given less favorable terms for offering different pricing or using different payment systems outside of the company's controlled store (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Protection of Business Communications: Companies are prohibited from restricting a developer's ability to communicate legitimate business offers, such as pricing or service offerings, to their users (Section 2(b)(2)).
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Prevention of Unfair Competition: Companies are barred from using nonpublic business information gathered from an app to compete against that app (Section 2(b)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Civil Penalties for Violations: Covered companies that violate this Act could face a civil penalty of up to $1,000,000 for each violation (Section 3(a)(3)).
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State Litigation Risks: State attorneys general may bring civil actions on behalf of residents, which could lead to legal conflicts or involve the Federal Trade Commission intervening in those actions (Section 3(b)).
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Potential State Law Conflicts: State laws that currently prohibit certain conduct or require certain actions by covered companies may be invalidated by this Act (Section 4(a)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill assists app developers by ensuring they have equivalent access to hardware and software features without additional costs. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Increased competition and user choice in digital marketplaces may benefit tech-savvy urban populations.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more rules on large technology companies? — The bill imposes significant new requirements on large companies that control major operating systems and app stores.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill prohibits unfair or deceptive practices and prevents companies from using nonpublic business information to compete against developers.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill provides the FTC with specific enforcement powers to oversee app marketplace practices.
- 9/11/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.