Rebuilding an App Store Ecosystem
Executive Summary
Two bills now before the United States Congress, the App Store Freedom Act (ASFA) and the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA), provide separate, vital solutions to long-standing failures in the digital marketplace. ASFA would address the overwhelming control Apple and Google exert over mobile software distribution. ASAA would ensure the safety of minors online by establishing mandatory age-verification, verifiable parental consent, and accurate age-rating systems.
Some argue that competition reform and child-protection reform must be pursued separately. In reality, the two reforms are complementary. Passing both bills at the same time is the healthier approach. It would create a mobile ecosystem that is less monopolistic, more transparent, and meaningfully safer for children, without sacrificing innovation or parental authority.
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