The Developers Alliance notes that its own study doesn’t indicate community support for the lawsuits.
Washington D.C., July 8th, 2021 – The Developers Alliance has issued a statement in response to the filing of antitrust lawsuits targeting Google’s app store yesterday, by the state attorneys general of thirty-six states. Specifically, the Developers Alliance notes that much of the premise of these lawsuits (and their media coverage) inaccurately portray the developer community’s position on their relationships with their platform partners.
The Developers Alliance has been an active participant in ongoing litigation in the General Court Of The European Union regarding these issues and Android for the last several years. As such, the organization has a lengthy track record of analyzing and commenting on the digital marketplace. In March of 2021, the Developer Alliance sponsored a survey, conducted by a third party, of the developer community in the US, UK, EU, and Australia. Here are some of the study’s key findings.
Key Findings
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85% of developers surveyed feel they should pay for the services that platform companies provide.
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2/3rds of developers surveyed feel Google/Apple ecosystems are important to their success and that they care about their developer partners.
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Specifically, 86% of North American developers who are Google/Apple partners have seen their revenue rise in the last two years.
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While developers are split on whether platform companies enjoy an unfair advantage in the market, 2/3rds believe that industry or standard groups, as well as the executives at “gatekeeper” organizations, should be the preferred avenue for resolving disputes.
The following quotes can be attributed to the Developers Alliance:
“Developers consistently tell us that they value the services, tools and training that app stores provide and that they don’t expect to get these for free,” stated Bruce Gustafson, Developers Alliance President & CEO. “They see first hand how platforms compete with one another and are not asking for government intervention. They believe that Google and Apple care about their developer partners, and the vast majority do not endorse the opinions of the large “developer” corporations that are seeking a free ride at their expense.”
“Developers believe that judicial action is the best way to enforce antitrust law against all companies, however, developers cannot support this case as they are not being harmed by app stores,” added Sarah Richard, Policy Counsel & Head of US Policy. “We look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers in Congress on antitrust reform to help them better understand the nuances of the tech community and the role developers play in allowing for a thriving app community.”
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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.
