Coalition for a Competitive Mobile Experience
The “Coalition for a Competitive Mobile Experience” is a coordinated effort by [Meta, Spotify, Match Group, and Garmin] to influence federal and state legislation amid mounting pressure to implement digital safeguards for minors. The coalition intends to lobby lawmakers, engage with federal regulators, and support ongoing antitrust enforcement actions against Apple and Google.
The group’s immediate concern is a growing legislative push to require age verification for users downloading mobile apps that may be unsuitable for minors. A law enacted in Utah in March requires app stores to verify a user’s age and obtain parental consent before allowing minors to download certain applications. Additional proposals are reportedly being drafted at the federal level.
The coalition’s members argue that Apple and Google, as gatekeepers of the iOS App Store and Google Play Store respectively, are best positioned to implement uniform age verification protocols across devices and markets.
The name doesn’t really seem to match what they’re asking for here. I do think it makes sense to handle age verification at the OS or store level, rather than separately for each app, but Apple already seems to be going along with this and it’s not clear to me what more they want.
The group does list other goals, however:
Smartphone gatekeepers should not be permitted to discriminate against competing software, apps, or hardware (e.g. earbuds, watches, health wearables) by degrading or throttling the consumer experience. Devices and technology from different manufacturers – and the apps that ride on them – should be able to work seamlessly.
[…]
App store providers should promote competition and choice in the app economy through equal treatment of competing app stores on their operating systems, by providing flexibility in pricing and payment options, avoiding unreasonable interference that limits consumer choice, and not preferencing their own offerings over others.
Previously:
- iOS Declared Age Range API
- Age Verification and the App Store
- Industry Trade Groups
- Netherlands and Apple Reach External Payments Agreement
- StoreKit External Purchase Entitlement for Netherlands
- Coalition for App Fairness
- The App Coalition
2 Comments RSS · Twitter · Mastodon
> Meta, Spotify, Match Group, and Garmin
Forgive me if I don't think these companies represent the interests of any actual users, or any actual person for that matter.
