North Dakota Senate kills bill targeting app stores

BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Senate has killed a bill seeking to ban companies such as Apple and Google from requiring app developers to exclusively use their app store and payment system.

Only 11 of the chamber’s 47 senators voted in favor of the bill Wednesday. Republican Sen. Kyle Davison, of Fargo, said his bill sought to “level the playing field” against companies he called monopolies.

Fessenden GOP Sen. Jerry Kline and other opponents of the bill argued it interferes with the free market and could put people’s security and privacy at risk.