HB3098 - DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION PLATFORMS

1 Co-Sponsor

Creates the Protect Illinois Technology Jobs Act. Provides that a provider of a digital application distribution platform for which cumulative downloads of software applications from the digital application distribution platform to Illinois users exceed 1,000,000 downloads in the previous or current calendar year may not: (i) require a software application developer that is domiciled in the State to use a particular in-application payment system as a mode of accepting payments from a user for software application downloads or digital purchases; (ii) require use of a particular in-application payment system as a mode of accepting payments from Illinois users to download a software application or purchase a digital or physical product or service through a software application; (iii) retaliate against a developer that is domiciled in the State or an Illinois user for using an in-application payment system or digital application distribution platform that is not owned by, operated by, or affiliated with the provider; or (iv) discriminate against any developer on account of the developer using a third-party payment system to process payments for in-application payments. Exempts special-purpose digital application distribution platforms from the Act. Provides that the Attorney General may receive complaints and investigate violations of the Act. Provides that any person aggrieved by a violation of the Act may commence a civil action. Provides that nothing in the Act shall restrict the ability of a digital application distribution platform to determine the manner in which applications may be downloaded, and specifically, nothing in the Act shall prohibit the ability of a digital application distribution platform to prohibit side-loading of applications. Defines terms.