Ken Buck sponsors bipartisan bill that takes aim at Apple, Google’s app store dominance

Ken Buck Congress

U.S. Rep. Ken Buck last week unveiled the latest salvo in what has turned into a deluge of legislation aimed at reining in big tech monopolies.

The Windsor Republican is joining with Democratic U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia to sponsor the House version of a bill meant to crack down on what Buck calls the “stranglehold” companies such as Google and Apple maintain over app developers through the tech giants’ mobile app stores.

The Open App Markets Act is a companion bill to Senate legislation introduced by Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Democratic U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

The bill would make clear that app developers have a right to inform consumers about competitive pricing in the nearly $33 billion U.S. market for mobile apps. In addition, the sponsors say, the bill would would give consumers more control over their devices and make possible third-party app stores and payment services, in addition to setting a number of other restrictions on the behemoth companies.

In a statement, Buck said he’s proud to sponsor the bill “because it will restore a competition to the digital marketplace, rein in anticompetitive behavior, and will ensure consumers are getting access to the apps they actually want and are paying a fair price to get them.”

“There’s no doubt the fight against Big Tech is a battle of David versus Goliath,” said Mike Davis, founder and president of Internet Accountability Project, in a statement.

“The Open App Markets Act takes a serious crack at breaking up Big Tech monopolies and increasing competition and innovation, all while protecting user privacy. Startups should have a fighting chance against monopolists, and this legislation takes an important step toward ending the crushing dominance of Big Tech.”

Buck, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, has been part of an unusual coalition of conservative and progressive lawmakers targeting the market dominance of companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.

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