The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) seeks the public's views on the operation of app marketplaces in Australia.

Apps play a fundamental role in the operation of many businesses and in the lives of consumers. There are millions of apps available for download by consumers, and they provide a wide variety of services including games, entertainment, health and fitness, and facilitating the procurement of physical services, like food delivery and ride-share.

The ACCC is examining potential competition and consumer issues in this area. In particular, the ACCC is seeking views on:

1. The ability and incentive for Apple and Google to link or bundle their other goods and services with their app marketplaces, and any effect this has on consumers and businesses.
2. How Apple and Google’s various roles as the key suppliers of app marketplaces, but also as app developers, operators of the mobile licensing operating system and device manufacturers affect the ability of third party app providers to compete, including the impact of app marketplace fee structures on rivals’ costs.
3. Terms, conditions and fees (including in-app purchases) imposed on businesses to place apps on app marketplaces.
4. The effect of app marketplace fee structures on innovation.
5. How app marketplaces determine whether an app is allowed on their marketplace, and the effect of this on app providers, developers and consumers;
6. How where an app is ranked in an app marketplace is determined.
7. The collection and use of consumer data by app marketplaces, and whether consumers are sufficiently informed about and have control over the extent of data that is collected.
8. Whether processes put in place by app marketplaces to protect consumers from harmful apps are working.

The purpose of this issues paper is to help inform the second report in the ACCC’s inquiry into digital platform services. This report will focus on the competitiveness, efficiency, transparency and effectiveness of markets for the supply of app marketplaces.