Developers Alliance CEO Bruce Gustafson releases a statement in advance of committee markup.
Washington D.C., February 2nd, 2022 – The Developers Alliance has released a statement from its CEO and President Bruce Gustafson concerning tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee markup of S.2710, the Open App Markets Act. The anti-tech bill was introduced in August of 2021 by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Blackburn (R-TN), and Klobuchar (D-MN). The Developers Alliance has released several responses to this bill, including an explainer stating that the bill will not achieve its goals.
The following can be attributed to Developers Alliance President and CEO, Bruce Gustafson:
“Contrary to reports that developers need the government’s protection from app stores, the Developers Alliance clarifies that developers are not asking for, and cannot support, the Open App Markets Act. While our community would welcome adjustments to app store practices and policies, we urge Congress to pause and allow developers and their platform partners to fine-tune the system without political interference. This view is informed by independent third-party research reflecting millions of U.S. developers and is not restricted to developers who have found success but no longer wish to support the ecosystem for those that follow.
While many of the elements in S. 2710 would increase developer flexibility and better balance the relationship between our community and their business partners, government control of the app marketplace is unwise and unwelcome. We oppose obligations that supplant, rather than augment, payment processing options and measures that will make the U.S. consumer an easy target for cyber fraud, hacking and criminal surveillance. We particularly oppose technical obligations which will destabilize the app marketplace upon which millions of U.S. developers rely.
The burden this bill places on our industry’s efforts at consumer security and privacy protection should alarm every American. The short-term danger it poses by peeling away technical protections that support a thriving marketplace should alarm any developer that isn’t already a household name.”
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About The Developers Alliance
The Developers Alliance is the world’s leading advocate for software developers and the companies invested in their success. Alliance members include industry leaders in consumer, enterprise, industrial, and emerging software development, and a global network of more than 70,000 developers.
