On July 30, 2023, Gus Bilirakis and Jan Schakowsky, members of the House Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee, penned a letter to Apple, seeking clarity on the tech giant's iOS Appstore policies concerning blockchain, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and distributed ledger technologies. The lawmakers are concerned that Apple's policies may stifle innovation and hinder America's technological leadership in these fields.
The letter addressed to Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, demanded information about the iOS App Store's regulations on emerging technologies like blockchain, NFTs, and other distributed ledger technologies. The representatives voiced their worries about the impact of Apple's restrictive policies on the development of apps leveraging these technologies, potentially hampering innovation from American firms in this sector. They also accused Apple of manipulating its App Store guidelines to boost its profits and diminish the utility of apps involved in blockchains, NFTs, and other blockchain-related technology.
Bilirakis and Schakowsky highlighted Apple's enforcement of its policies against Coinbase Wallet in December as an example. Apple had then disabled NFT transactions in the iOS version of the app, insisting that blockchain fee payments be processed through their in-app purchase system, thereby collecting 30% of each transaction. Coinbase Wallet had refused to comply with this rule, citing feasibility issues.
The representatives also discussed the situation of Axie Infinity, a popular play-to-earn game that had to release a stripped-down version of its app on iOS, which excluded core NFT functionality and remains inaccessible for U.S.-based users.
In conclusion, Bilirakis and Schakowsky emphasized the importance of Congress understanding the App Store guidelines and their potential to limit innovation and affect American technological leadership. They expressed their desire to establish a fair playing field within the industry to ensure the continued growth of American creativity.
Apple had announced a stringent set of blockchain rules in October, stating that apps "may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functionality," including crypto and NFTs. Furthermore, all NFT sales offered by these apps might have to go through Apple's in-app purchase system, provided they don't present "buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase."
