October 5, 2023 – The Coalition for App Fairness (CAF) today released an open letter to global competition regulators and policymakers to call attention to the tactics app store monopolists like Apple and Google use to feign compliance and circumvent competition law:
“As you and your colleagues around the world determine how to open mobile ecosystems to competition, using both new and existing powers, it is vital that: (a) genuine choice is created in the mobile app ecosystem for developers and consumers alike to choose which payment provider they would like to use; (b) Apple and Google cannot maintain their exorbitant and unjustified ‘service fee,’” the letter began.
The letter specifically calls out Apple’s and Google’s actions to evade regulation of, or feign compliance with, the South Korea Telecommunications Act, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), and the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Both developers and policymakers have seen through these mobile app monopolists’ insufficient compliance proposals.
“Accepting proposals that don’t bring true competition into the marketplace would implicitly endorse Apple’s and Google’s rights to charge a steep fee for a service they have not rendered and diminish attempts to meaningfully reform and establish fair competition in the mobile app ecosystem,” the letter concluded.
Read the full letter here.
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About the Coalition for App Fairness
The Coalition for App Fairness is an independent nonprofit organization formed to protect consumer choice, foster competition, and create a level playing field for all app and game developers globally. Originally formed by Basecamp, Blix, Blockchain.com, Deezer, Epic Games, the European Publishers Council, Match Group, News Media Europe, Prepear, Proton, Skydemon, Spotify, and Tile, CAF has rapidly grown from 13 to over 70 members since launching in September 2020. CAF offers membership to companies of any size — join today at appfairness.org.