H.R. 5313 (119th)Bill Overview

App Store Freedom Act

Commerce|Commerce
Cosponsors
Support
Republican
Introduced
Sep 11, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief

This bill, the "App Store Freedom Act," requires companies that both control a widely used operating system and run an associated app store (more than 100 million U.S. users) to allow third-party app stores and sideloading, let users set third-party defaults and remove preinstalled apps, and give app developers non-discriminatory access to system interfaces and documentation.

It bars a covered company from forcing use of its own in-app payment system or imposing parity pricing, from penalizing developers for distributing apps outside the company’s store, from restricting developers’ communications with users about offers, and from using nonpublic developer data to compete with developers.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the law as an unfair or deceptive practice, with standard FTC powers plus civil penalties up to $1,000,000 per violation; states may bring civil actions subject to notice and limited coordination with the FTC.

Passage35/100

Content-wise, the bill addresses a high-profile market issue with a comparatively narrow scope focused on vertically integrated platform operators, and includes reasonable implementation carve-outs (IP, national security) and FTC guidance. Nonetheless, it would materially alter incumbent platform practices and revenue models, inviting strong industry opposition and complex legal questions (interpretation of IP/competition limits, preemption). Those factors, combined with the need for compromises to clear the Senate and potential litigation risks, make enactment possible but uncertain and moderately unlikely absent significant negotiation or changes.

CredibilityPartially aligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive policy statute that lays out explicit obligations and prohibitions for large platform owners, integrates closely with existing FTC authority and federal law, and establishes enforcement pathways through the FTC and state actions. It includes several detailed definitions and carve-outs for IP, national security, and data-consent issues.

Contention75/100

Tradeoff between competition/consumer choice vs. security and product integrity: progressives emphasize breaking platform gatekeeping; conservatives emphasize security and private property concerns.

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Who this appears to help vs burden50% / 50%
DevelopersDevelopers
Likely helped
  • DevelopersIncreases competition by enabling sideloading and third‑party app stores, which supporters say could lower platform fee…
  • DevelopersImproves developer access to OS features and technical documentation on equivalent terms, which supporters argue could…
  • Targeted stakeholdersLikely creates new business opportunities and jobs for alternative app store operators, payment processors, and interme…
Likely burdened
  • Targeted stakeholdersMay increase security, fraud, and privacy risks for users because allowing installation outside curated app stores and…
  • DevelopersCould raise compliance and engineering costs for covered companies required to open interfaces and provide documentatio…
  • DevelopersMay reduce platform revenues from app store fees and in‑app payment commissions, which critics argue could lead to less…
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Tradeoff between competition/consumer choice vs. security and product integrity: progressives emphasize breaking platform gatekeeping; conservatives emphasize security and private property concerns.
Progressive90%

A mainstream liberal/left-leaning view would generally welcome the bill as a pro-competition measure that reduces gatekeeping power of dominant platform owners, strengthens developer rights, and increases consumer choice.

It aligns with progressive antitrust and digital-rights priorities by forbidding forced use of platform-owned payment systems, parity pricing, and discriminatory treatment of outside-distributed apps.

The persona would note the FTC enforcement mechanism as appropriate, but may wonder whether penalties and implementation details are strong enough to curb large-platform misconduct.

Leans supportive
Centrist70%

A centrist/moderate would view the bill as a targeted, pragmatic intervention to increase competition where dominant platforms may be limiting choice, but would be cautious about operational and security tradeoffs.

They would appreciate that the bill preserves IP and national security exceptions and relies on the FTC for rulemaking and enforcement, rather than creating a complex new agency.

At the same time, they would want clearer technical standards, phased implementation, and attention to unintended consequences such as fragmentation, consumer confusion, or increased fraud.

Leans supportive
Conservative35%

A mainstream conservative view would be mixed: some conservatives favor increased competition to curb perceived Big Tech dominance, but many are concerned about federal mandates forcing private companies to change product design, potentially infringing on property and contract rights.

The requirement that covered companies allow sideloading and third‑party app stores could be seen as undue government interference and a regulatory burden that raises security and liability concerns.

Conservatives would also note the FTC enforcement approach and per‑violation fines as additional federal oversight that they may prefer to limit or restructure.

Likely resistant
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood35/100

Content-wise, the bill addresses a high-profile market issue with a comparatively narrow scope focused on vertically integrated platform operators, and includes reasonable implementation carve-outs (IP, national security) and FTC guidance. Nonetheless, it would materially alter incumbent platform practices and revenue models, inviting strong industry opposition and complex legal questions (interpretation of IP/competition limits, preemption). Those factors, combined with the need for compromises to clear the Senate and potential litigation risks, make enactment possible but uncertain and moderately unlikely absent significant negotiation or changes.

Scope and complexity
52%
Scopemoderate
52%
Complexitymedium
Why this could stall
  • How the Federal Trade Commission would interpret and implement core obligations (e.g., what constitutes "equivalent" access to interfaces and features or the scope of required licensing) in its guidance.
  • Potential legal challenges on constitutional or statutory grounds (for example, disputes over IP licensing requirements or preemption of state laws) that could delay or invalidate parts of the statute.
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Tradeoff between competition/consumer choice vs. security and product integrity: progressives emphasize breaking platform gatekeeping; cons…

Content-wise, the bill addresses a high-profile market issue with a comparatively narrow scope focused on vertically integrated platform op…

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a substantive policy statute that lays out explicit obligations and prohibitions for large platform owners, integrates closely with existing FTC authority and fede…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
Open full analysis