North Dakota Senate Shoots Down App Store Bill Apple Said Would 'Destroy the iPhone'

The North Dakota Senate today voted no on a new bill that would have paved the way for third-party app store options by preventing Apple from requiring developers to use its App Store and in-app purchase methods for apps.

appstore
According to the North Dakota government website, the SB2333 bill failed 11 to 36, which is good news for Apple.


Apple Chief Privacy Engineer Erik Neuenschwander last week spoke out against the bill, saying that it "threatens to destroy the iPhone as you know it" by requiring changes that would "undermine the privacy, security, safety, and performance" of the ‌‌iPhone‌‌.

North Dakota Senator Kyle Davison, who introduced the bill, said that it was designed to "level the playing field" for app developers in North Dakota and shield customers from "devastating, monopolistic fees imposed by big tech companies" like Apple and Google.

The bill would have prevented Apple from requiring a developer to use a digital application distribution platform as the exclusive mode of distributing a digital product, and it would have kept the company from requiring developers to use in-app purchases as the exclusive mode of accepting payment from a user.


Lobbyist Lacee Byork Anderson, who was funded by the Coalition for App Fairness drafted the initial legislation. The Coalition for App Fairness is a collaborative organization created by companies like Epic Games, Spotify, Basecamp and Tile to highlight developer issues with Apple.

It was backed by Basecamp co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson, who was embroiled in a legal fight with Apple over email app "HEY" last year. Heinemeier Hansson praised the bill and said that it gave him hope that "tech monopolies aren't going to rule the world forever."

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Top Rated Comments

frenchcamp49er Avatar
60 months ago
Epic loses again ?
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
QCassidy352 Avatar
60 months ago
No matter how you feel about the particular issue of side loading apps onto iPhones, 50 state legislatures each independently trying to regulate big tech wouldn't end well.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
planteater Avatar
60 months ago
Good. Reasoned heads prevailed in ND.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scipster Avatar
60 months ago
So the truth comes out! This was written by non-other than an Epic lobbyist. Not some small town, free-enterprise loving North Dakotan developer that they'd have you believe. C'mon Epic, you could have least introduced this bill in CA or MA where you'd at least have a chance to succeed. Just glad this one failed since it was introduced for all the wrong reasons.

Wow. Just wow.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
60 months ago
Good News, as this draft legislation originated from, you guessed it a Epic Games lobbyist! Just go away Epic!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
60 months ago
Good on North Dakota. Epic is even slimier than I thought. I'm glad they lost again.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)