Microsoft releases 10 app store principles to foster fairness and choice

Microsoft has committed to implementing a fairer approach with competitors by publishing 10 guiding principles to the management of its own app store. The principles include, among others, the freedom for app developers to: Choose whether they distribute their app through the Windows app store (competing stores will not be blocked on Windows); choose their payment models that might be related to the Windows store or not; and establish direct communication with their users without the intermediation of Windows app store. The move is a response to the policies of the Google and Apple app stores, which both impose policies that restrict competition, restrict the freedom of app developers, and limit user choice. The 10 principles were built on the work developed by the Coalition for App Fairness (CAF).