New IL bill would allow smartphone app companies to do business directly with consumers

Andrew Carrigan
Jan 19, 2022
Jan 19, 2022
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CHICAGO (WREX) �� A Rockford lawmaker is sponsoring a bill that would protect smartphone app developers from Apple and Google, which take 30% of all revenues from many smartphone apps.

SB3417 and HB4599 are the "Freedom to Subscribe Directly Act."

The new legislation would provide smartphone app companies with the legal right to do business directly with their customers, overriding current smartphone app store policies.

Current policies force customers to pay the smartphone company �� Google or Apple �� not the app company providing the service. Google and Apple charge as much as 30% of total revenues, extracting hundreds of millions from Illinois companies.

The bill is being introduced by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D), of Chicago, along with Rockford lawmaker Steve Stadelman and Sen. Robert Peters (D), of Chicago.

Similar bills have been filed in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina and North Dakota. Bills in other states have had bipartisan support.