Meta and Spotify Form Coalition to Challenge Apple and Google's Influence
San Francisco, Thursday, 1 May 2025.
Meta and Spotify, with partners, launched a coalition to shift age verification responsibility from developers to app stores like Apple’s and Google’s, potentially altering app store regulations.
Formation of a Powerful Alliance
On April 30, 2025, Meta, Spotify, Garmin, and Match Group launched the Coalition for a Competitive Mobile Experience, marking a significant challenge to Apple and Google’s dominance in the mobile ecosystem [1][2]. Under the leadership of Brandon Kressin, the coalition’s director, the group aims to address various concerns, including ensuring Apple and Google products work effectively with competitors’ devices and combating perceived discrimination in app store practices [1].
Age Verification Battle
The coalition’s immediate priority focuses on age verification responsibilities, following Utah’s groundbreaking legislation in March 2025 that requires app stores to verify users’ ages [3]. The group advocates for shifting the burden of age verification from individual apps to the platform providers, Apple and Google [4]. This initiative gains particular significance as 18 states have already implemented legislation requiring age verification for specific content [6], suggesting a growing regulatory trend across the United States.
Legal and Regulatory Implications
The timing of this coalition’s formation proves particularly significant, coinciding with major legal developments in the tech sector. The announcement came just hours before a crucial ruling against Apple in its ongoing litigation with Epic, which restricted Apple’s ability to collect fees on external purchases [1]. Additionally, the European Union has recently demonstrated its regulatory muscle by fining both Apple and Meta for Digital Markets Act violations on April 23, 2025 [5], indicating growing global scrutiny of tech platform practices.
Future Industry Impact
The coalition plans to expand its influence by supporting similar bills across other states and pushing for equivalent measures in both the House and Senate [1]. Apple’s planned implementation of new age verification features, including a Declared Age Range API, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025 [2]. This ongoing battle between major tech players could fundamentally reshape the mobile app ecosystem and establish new standards for digital platform governance [3][4].