Apple and Google have successfully killed a California bill that would have forced the tech giants to stop favoring their own apps in the App Store and Google Play Store. Senator Scott Wiener sponsored the "Based Act," designed to give competing apps more visibility against platform owners' own services. The legislation was backed by small companies supported by startup incubator Y Combinator and consumer groups.

The defeat came through an aggressive lobbying campaign that Wiener described as a "tidal wave." The California Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Progress, a tech coalition funded by Apple and Google, led the opposition. Apple's senior director of government affairs Tim Powderly warned lawmakers the bill would force companies to spend resources on compliance "instead of building new products." Lobbyists flooded the Capitol within days of the bill's introduction, making constituent calls and running ads claiming search results would become "less useful" and smartphones "insecure."

The bill's failure on April 20 underscores how effectively tech companies deploy legislative resources. Apple spent a record $10 million on lobbying in 2025—a 27.9% increase from 2024. The company also spent 7 million euros ($8.1 million) lobbying EU institutions over the same period. Wiener hinted he may revive the proposal, but for now, the platforms maintain their ability to prioritize their own services.