The North Dakota state senate rejected what would have overturned the App Store rules and threatened one of the company’s most important businesses. Senate Bill 2,333, which would require Apple to allow third-party app stores and allow developers to bypass the company, was defeated by 36 to 11 votes in the Senate, CNBC .
An Apple executive said the law “threatens to destroy the iPhone as you know it”. The account would also have affected Google’s app store policies, although the company already allows users to download apps from alternative stores.
The vote comes at a time when Apple faces several challenges regarding App Store policies, which require developers to abide by company rules. This sometimes includes opaque and a requirement that application manufacturers deliver 30% of in-app subscription and payment revenue to Apple. Fifteen days Epic Games, which is in the middle of a dispute with Apple, supported the legislation.
Although the North Dakota bill has failed, it is hardly the end of Apple’s battle to preserve its “walled garden”. Other states may consider similar legislation. Facebook is reportedly preparing its own against the iPhone maker over App Store rules. And European Union regulators have also joined the company.