The Developers Alliance submission highlights industry improvements; asks for ecosystem code of conduct to lead the way.
Canberra, October 2nd, 2020 – Today, the Developers Alliance announced that it has made its submission to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) regarding its upcoming 2021 Digital Platform Services Inquiry open request. The ACCC previously noted it was “examining potential competition and consumer issues relating to mobile app shops or marketplaces, such as Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.”
In their submission, the Alliance highlights the careful balance between consumers, software developers, and their marketplace partners, the app stores.
From the consumer standpoint, the dividing line between device, OS, and app is often fuzzy. While marketplaces often compete for consumers by trying to build exclusive app franchises (console games are a great example), the ability for developers to port their apps between systems often makes this differentiator short-lived. Consumers, in turn, assess marketplaces at every device upgrade cycle, taking into account promised innovation, past experiences, and where apps have been purchased, their investment in the current ecosystem.
As well as highlighting the changes to data retention standards for developers worldwide.
As mentioned above, developers are less and less inclined to collect and store user data. Typically, they restrict their data access requirements to what is needed to provide and perfect the service offer.
They also detail app store responsibilities, marketplace trends, and finally an industry code of conduct.
The Alliance believes that an ecosystem code of conduct that promotes transparency, created in collaboration with industry stakeholders, would go a long way toward improving the situation for everyone involved.
“Australia is a respected voice on the internet, and home to tens of thousands of talented app developers,” stated Developers Alliance President and CEO Bruce Gustafson. “The developer community is deeply invested in how the digital economy evolves, and we look forward to working alongside ecosystem stakeholders in building a better and even more vibrant marketplace.
This is the first time the Developers Alliance has responded to a submission request from the Australian government. The submission can be read here.
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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.
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dakota@developersalliance.org
