Mike Peterson
The Coalition for App Fairness with Epic Games at its head has commissioned a pair of polls showing that the majority of respondents want App Store competition and antitrust legislation.
Founded in 2020 by Epic Games, Spotify, and others, the Coalition for App Fairness (CAF) is a lobbying group created specifically to advocate against Apple's App Store policies. It has been calling for Apple to allow third-party app stores, alternative payment systems, and less restrictive terms.
On Thursday, CAF released new research claiming that 79% of voters support the Open App Markets Act, which would force Apple and others to allow third-party payment systems and place additional restrictions aimed at increasing competition.
"Recent research conducted by OnMessage Public Strategies and Lake Research Partners found likely voters in both parties back legislation to address the anticompetitive practices of app store gatekeepers," CAF wrote in the paper.
Per the research, 68% of respondents think that Big Tech has too much power and 79% support legislative efforts to open up the mobile app ecosystem. CAF says the survey shows that there is "clear, overwhelming, and bipartisan support" for lawmakers to pass antitrust legislation.
When asked about how much power Apple wields, 59% of respondents said it was too much, while 28% said it was the right amount.
Some of the questions in the polls appear to be leading, with one directly telling participants that "Apple and Google have monopoly control over what apps are allowed in their app stores and how consumers are able to download the apps."
Epic Games is well-known for its vocal criticism of Apple's App Store policies. Back in 2020, the company baited Apple into removing "Fortnite" from the App Store by sneaking an alternate payment system into the popular game in violation of Apple's guidelines.
After "Fortnite" was removed, the game studio immediately launched a premeditated lawsuit and PR campaign against Apple. After a lengthy trial in 2021, a U.S. District Court judge ruled largely in favor of Apple, stating that the company was not a monopoly.
Despite the favorable ruling, Apple and other tech giants are still facing increasing antitrust scrutiny in both the U.S. and abroad. Apple, for its part, argues that current antitrust legislation would weaken the privacy and security of its iOS platform.
The surveys, which asked questions to 1,600 likely voters, were conducted over telephone between June 6 and June 10, 2022.
Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Oliver Haslam
24 Comments
Over the phone polls? For Fortnite?
They didn't ask me. Doesn't surprise me because I don't answer phone calls from people I don't know and These companies won't leave messages.
My survey answers:
I don't support the open app markets act (haven't read it but I have a pretty good idea what it's about).
Big Tech having too much power is the same as big oil having too much power along with auto dealerships having monopolies covered by unconstitutional laws, and a hole list of other groups.
I don't support legislative efforts, especially since most legislatures are bought/bribed by corporations, to open mobile app ecosystems mainly because many/most corporations do the same thing. I also don't see it as being antitrust activities.
I have bought Apple products since the late '80s, early '90s (Performa 400 first home computer, bought millions of dollars worth of Apple products for work) and don't see Apple as having too much power, especially when compared to other tech companies.
Apple doesn't have monopoly power over the apps included in THEIR store and I absolutely feel they have every right to determine how apps are downloaded to equipment they manufacture, sell and support.
As for Epic, I see that company as a predator, attempting to highjack Apple's products for their own benefit. It has nothing to do with benefiting customers only its bottom line.
--In response to @Hammeroftruth, I agree about phone calls. I'm not a kid (far from it) but I don't get much information from my phone, I get it on-line, which is where polls should be held. Of course, this also means poll takers need to be honest about accepting input from various platforms and not allowing bots to screw up the poll. I refuse to use my name on any on-line poll because I absolutely know it will be sold to some jerk company like google.
Even if they fairly surveyed random members of the general public, that would include at least 50% Android users, many of whom would be overjoyed to see Apple products ruined, and all of Apple's customers forced to become Android users/developers. So what? Since when should a company's products' features be up for public vote? One of the great qualities of the modern economy is that people who like a particular product can buy it, and people who don't can go buy something else.
Hey, here's a fine idea: Let's put Epic Games up for public vote, and see what should be done with it. What rules should it have, how should it be managed, etc. And what does the voting public think of Tim Sweeney's $10 billion dollar personal fortune? Should it all go to Tim Sweeney, or should it be distributed equitably to the poorest 10% of the population? The public knows best — let them vote!
Sneaky way of saying you want to steal another company’s IP.