Overview
- A California proposal to curb how dominant platforms boost their own apps died in a key committee after a month of heavy opposition.
- The BASED Act targeted platforms worth at least $1 trillion and serving over 100 million U.S. users, seeking to stop ranking their own apps ahead of rivals and to strengthen data portability and interoperability.
- Apple, Google, the California Chamber of Commerce, and the Chamber of Progress led the pushback, driving constituent calls and ads that warned of less useful search results, slower deliveries, and less secure phones.
- Apple deployed government affairs staff, including a letter from Tim Powderly comparing the bill to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, and the company’s U.S. lobbying spend reportedly hit $10 million in 2025.
- Small developers and Y Combinator backed the bill to gain visibility in app stores, and sponsor Sen. Scott Wiener says he may revisit the measure, signaling more fights over platform favoritism ahead.