The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is to put the market for mobile apps under scrutiny in a new report.
The ongoing report will examine the experiences of consumers, developers, suppliers and others.
According to the ACCC, the issues it will examine include the use and sharing of data by apps, the extent of competition between Google and Apple’s app stores, and whether more pricing transparency is needed in the mobile apps market.
Deputy Chair of the ACCC, Delia Rickard said the work was part of a five-year inquiry which would produce reports every six months examining markets for the supply of digital platform services in Australia.
“Apps have become essential tools for daily living for many Australian consumers, a trend that is likely to have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ms Rickard said.
“Apps are, in turn, increasingly important for businesses as they promote, grow and run their enterprises.”
She said the ACCC wanted to know more about the market for mobile apps, including how transparent and effective it was for consumers as well as those operating in the market.
“We will focus on the extent of competition between the major online app stores, and how they compete for app sales with other app providers,” Ms Rickard said.
“We are also interested in how data is used and shared in the app ecosystem, including the data available to Google and Apple as a result of their control of the major app stores.”
She said a survey for consumers and an issues paper had been produced with submissions closing on 2 October. The final report will be handed down in March 2021.
The consumer survey and other information can be accessed on the ACCC website at this PS News link.
