Sponsors
The bill expands developer choice, consumer control, and federal enforcement to curb dominant platform practices — but it raises security risks from sideloading, shifts costs and compliance burdens that could be passed to consumers, and limits state-level protections through federal preemption.
Developers (especially small app makers and independent software businesses) can access platform interfaces and hardware on equivalent terms, avoid forced use of platform payment systems or parity pricing, and communicate directly with users, lowering fees and barriers to competition.
Device users gain more choice and control — they can install third‑party apps and app stores and remove preinstalled apps — increasing consumer autonomy over device software.
Stronger, clearer federal enforcement: the FTC is explicitly authorized as the enforcer, covered companies face civil penalties (including state AG suits and monetary remedies), improving the federal ability to deter and remedy anticompetitive or unfair platform conduct.
All device users face increased malware and security risks if third‑party app stores and sideloading bypass platform controls, potentially exposing many consumers to fraud, data loss, or compromised devices.
Platforms and covered companies will incur higher compliance, legal, and enforcement costs and may see reduced revenue from platform fees, which could be passed to consumers as higher prices, reduce investment in platform security/features, or slow innovation.
State and local governments (and the residents they protect) lose the ability to impose stricter privacy, surveillance, or consumer‑protection rules on covered companies because federal preemption prevents stronger local standards.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Requires large OS/app‑store owners to allow third‑party apps/stores, give developers equal interface access, ban forced in‑app payments and pricing parity, and make the FTC the enforcer.
Introduced September 11, 2025 by Russell Fry · Last progress September 11, 2025
Requires large companies that both control a mobile/consumer operating system and its app store to let users install third‑party apps and app stores, let developers access the same interfaces and features as the company provides to its own apps, and bans forcing developers to use the company’s in‑app payment system or match the company’s pricing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces these rules and can seek civil penalties; the FTC must issue compliance guidance within 180 days and the law takes effect when that guidance is issued. The bill also limits state and local rules that would conflict with its requirements, preserves companies’ rights to protect intellectual property and follow export/sanctions or national‑security restrictions, and clarifies that companies are not required to provide warranty or support for third‑party apps installed outside their store.