Image: Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The Biden administration on Wednesday urged Congress to open up app stores to increased competition as part of a sweeping government-wide plan to tackle corporate consolidation across industries.
The announcement came through a long-awaited Commerce Department report published Wednesday accusing Apple and Google of running online app markets that harm developers and consumers. Officials specifically called out how the companies restrict app downloads to their proprietary stores and provide developers little transparency into their review processes.
“From finding directions to chatting with loved ones, apps are a critical tool for consumers and an essential part of doing business online,” Alan Davidson, assistant commerce secretary for…