Competition & Platform Access
Promoting competition without undermining the ecosystems developers depend on.
What is the issue?
Competition policy shapes how developers can access major platforms, app stores, and essential distribution channels.
Emerging “gatekeeper” regulations-aimed at limiting the dominance of large tech platforms-are changing how digital ecosystems operate.
While these policies are designed to encourage competition, they instead create uncertainty by making it harder for developers to reach users and maintain secure, reliable experiences.
How does it affect developers?
- App store fragmentation - Changes to platform rules could force developers to distribute across multiple app stores, increasing complexity and reducing reach.
- Access uncertainty - Updates to review processes or marketplace policies can make it harder to plan product launches or updates.
- Security and trust concerns - Opening platforms without consistent standards risks exposing users to malicious apps or compromised environments.
- Impact on small teams - Independent developers benefit from the visibility, payment processing, and trust infrastructure that centralized platforms provide-resources that may erode if the market fragments.
Our Position
We support balanced competition policies that:
- Prevent anti-competitive behavior by dominant platforms,
- Maintain security and trust for users, and
- Preserve the accessibility benefits that established ecosystems offer to developers of all types.
A fair and predictable platform environment ensures developers can innovate confidently-without sacrificing user safety or reach.
Why It Matters
The health of the digital economy depends on both openness and stability.
Developers need reliable pathways to reach users, and users need confidence that their devices and data are protected.
Well-designed competition policies can achieve both: supporting a thriving, innovative marketplace where new ideas can flourish without compromising trust.
Alliance 2.0 will be launching in the coming months. We'll be focused on amplifying developer voices through issue advocacy, and giving you the resources you need to make an impact worldwide.