While Apple and Google likely breathed a sigh of relief when a proposed North Dakota bill that would require the mobile platforms to allow alternative forms of payment was voted down by that state’s Senate, the Arizona state House of Representatives has recently voted in favor of its own form of that same legislation this past Wednesday.
The legislation is an amendment to Arizona’s existing HB2005 that prevents app stores that exceed 1 million downloads from forcing a developer based in the state to use a preferred payment system, and also bars companies from retaliating against app developers who choose to use alternative payment options. The amendment specifically exempts gaming consoles and “special-purpose devices connected to the internet.”
Arguments in favor of the bill say that smaller app devs are being forced to either absorb the costs or pass them on to their consumers, while opponents of the bill say that states should not interfere with the ongoing antitrust case between Epic, Apple, and Google while also raising concerns about interstate commerce and constitutionality.
The bill’s amendment now goes to the Arizona state Senate for a vote.
