[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Major foreign media reported on the 3rd (local time) that a bill to curb the market dominance of Apple and Alphabet's app stores has passed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bill was introduced by Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar, and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn. The three senators initially introduced the bill in August last year, but issues such as privacy violations and online security were pointed out, leading to subsequent revisions of the bill.
The bill prohibits app developers from being forced to use Apple or Google's payment systems by banning mandatory in-app payments. The senators pointed out that Apple and Google impose excessive fees through in-app payments, infringing on consumer rights.
The bill also includes provisions requiring app store operators who control operating systems, like Apple and Google, to allow users to download applications from other app stores. Apple and Google have long been criticized for making it difficult to purchase apps outside their own app stores.
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