Tending the Garden: How to Ensure That App Stores Put Users First

The paper stems from a platform competition research project led by Public Knowledge and supported by Omidyar Network. The paper explores the challenge of balancing the significant gatekeeper control that dominant platforms like Apple and Google have over both their operating systems and app stores, with the benefits that app stores create for both developers and users. The paper argues that competition between platforms for users and developers cannot alone ensure that app stores and their associated software platforms will be operated in a way that promotes consumer rights, the public interest, and broader economic benefits. The paper also suggests specific measures that should be implemented by dominant app stores to promote these interests. This paper recommends:

• That platforms only apply in-app purchase rules to genuine app functionality that could otherwise have been a single up-front purchase; 
• That platforms allow users to “sideload” apps but only from recognized developers (under a code-signing system that recognizes multiple certificate authorities); 
• That platforms follow certain guardrails to ensure the ability of independent app and hardware developers to compete on an even playing field; 
• That platforms allow archiving, emulation, and transfer of apps and digital content; and
• That developers be given more business model flexibility, such as offering traditional free trials of paid apps, and upgrade pricing.