The White House is looking to rein in Google and Apple’s app stores’ anti-competitive practices.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden convened the competition council for updates on efforts made to promote competition. Before the meeting, the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a report that noted that Apple and Google have dominated the apps market, which harms both developers and consumers through the reduction of innovation and inflation of prices. The report adds that dominance reduces competition.
“The policies that Apple and Google have in place in their own mobile app stores have created unnecessary barriers and costs for app developers, ranging from fees for access to functional restrictions that favor some apps over others,” the report said.
We obtained a copy of the report for you here.
Before the meeting, President Biden said, “You’ve heard me say capitalism without competition isn’t capitalism, it is simply exploitation. To boost competition, the Commerce Department said “new legislation and additional antitrust enforcement actions are likely necessary.”
NTIA administrator Alan Davidson told the press that the report “identifies where legislation would be needed to address some of these issues.”
According to Biden, the federal government will work with local and state officials to look for ways to do away with junk fees. The president also encouraged congress to pass the Junk Fee Protection act, which would crack down on hidden fees in entertainment, hospitality, and travel.
