United States Representatives Gus Bilirakis and Jan Schakowsky penned a formal letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook about concerns related to the California-based company’s App Store, and the potential effect of its guidelines on emerging technologies like blockchain and nonfungible tokens (NFTs).
The letter requests information about whether the App Store’s guidelines might inadvertently hinder the progress and growth of cutting-edge innovations.
The lawmakers observed a pattern in Apple’s approach to its App Store guidelines, where the company seemingly capitalized on and simultaneously limited the functionality of crypto apps. They pointed out that Apple achieved this by mandating the release of “lite” versions, which both generated profits for Apple and diminished the overall utility of the applications. As evidence, they specifically mentioned the case of Axie Infinity’s App Store experience.
By dispatching the letter, the lawmakers expressed concerns regarding the potential negative consequences of Apple’s policies on the United States’ standing in emerging technologies. The chairman and ranking member of the Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee noted that while Apple has justified these limitations as a means to enhance security…
