Apple and Google are facing another frontal attack from politics: A group of American senators has now submitted a bill that would force corporations to significantly change the business models on their platforms for selling apps for devices such as smartphones.

Roland Lindner

Business correspondent in New York.

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The "Open App Markets Act" comes from senators from both parties and thus provides the latest example of how, in the otherwise polarized political environment in the USA, stronger regulation of the tech giants is currently one of the few things on which consensus can be found.

The non-partisan approach increases the chances that the bill will be implemented from the outset.

Focus on app stores

The move in the Senate underlines once again that the app stores from Apple and Google are among the most important priorities in the disputes of politicians and regulators with “Big Tech” today, and that on both sides of the Atlantic.

Just a few weeks ago, a group of three dozen American states filed a lawsuit against Google relating to the Google Play app platform.

Last year, the EU filed antitrust proceedings against Apple relating to the App Store and tightened them again a few months ago.

The App Store was also involved in a high-profile process in which Apple and the video game manufacturer Epic Games ("Fortnite") faced each other this spring.

Epic accuses Apple of taking advantage of its monopoly on iPhones to impose its conditions on app developers, such as a commission of 30 percent on revenue such as apps.

The verdict in the proceedings is expected shortly.

Affront to the free market?

The bill in the Senate provides for a series of interventions in the business models with the app stores.

According to this, operators of the platforms could no longer force app developers to use their own payment systems in the future.

They would have to allow users to download apps to devices outside of their app stores.

They would also have to allow third-party providers to run their own app stores.

App developers should also be able to inform their users about cheaper options for app purchases.

Some of these regulations would only affect Apple, as Google's rules are less strict.

For example, users of devices with Google's Android operating system are not only dependent on Google's own app platform, but can also download apps directly from their developers' websites.

Republicans' Marsha Blackburn, one of the initiators of the bill, said the app store practices were "a direct affront to a free and fair market."

Richard Blumenthal of the Democrats said the bill would "tear down anti-competitive walls in the app economy."

Apple defended its app store as "an unprecedented engine for economic growth and innovation".

Strict control over the ecosystem serves the privacy and security of users.

The App Store is of enormous importance to Apple.

It is an increasingly important source of income and closely related to the iPhone, Apple's top-selling product by far.