Meta and Spotify Lead Coalition to Challenge Apple and Google on App Store Age Verification

Meta has joined forces with Spotify, Garmin, Match, and other major tech companies to form the Coalition for a Competitive Mobile Experience, a lobbying group aimed at challenging the dominance of Apple and Google in the mobile app ecosystem.

The coalition’s primary agenda is to shift the responsibility of age verification from individual app developers to the app stores themselves, arguing that Apple and Google should manage which apps children can download. This move aims to reduce the compliance burden on app makers and streamline user safety measures.

Brandon Kressin, director of the coalition, emphasized the power of collective action against the duopoly of Apple and Google, highlighting the need for fair competition and interoperability between platforms and rival devices.

The coalition also supports ongoing antitrust investigations and legal actions targeting Apple and Google’s restrictive app store policies, including recent rulings that limit Apple’s control over in-app purchases and developer communications.

Legislative efforts are underway in several states, such as Utah, to require app stores to verify user ages, with the coalition backing similar bills at the federal level to enforce these responsibilities on Apple and Google.

This coalition represents a significant shift in how major app developers are organizing to influence mobile platform governance, aiming to create a more balanced and competitive environment that benefits developers and consumers alike.

For developers and businesses, this evolving landscape means adapting to new compliance frameworks and leveraging opportunities to engage with app stores on more equitable terms. The coalition’s efforts could reshape app distribution, user safety protocols, and revenue models across the mobile ecosystem.