Apple thwarted proposed legislation in Louisiana that would have mandated the use of alternative payment systems for app store developers by threatening to cancel a Will Smith film project in the state, according to a report.
In 2021, Louisiana lawmakers were considering a bill that would have allowed app developers to bypass Apple’s app store payment system. Apple, concerned about a potential threat to its revenue from app store fees, intervened to block the Louisiana bill allowing alternative payment systems, according to The Wall Street Journal.
An Apple employee allegedly warned Tanner Magee, a senior Louisiana lawmaker, that proceeding with the bill would result in Apple halting the production of the film “Emancipation” in the state. The film stars Will Smith as “Whipped Peter,” an ex-slave known for a famous 1863 photograph of his scarred back. “Emancipation” was filmed in Louisiana.
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An Apple representative reportedly warned Magee that the company would move the production elsewhere if the app store bill advanced, potentially harming the local economy, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“He basically said that if we didn’t kill the bill, he’d kill the movie and hurt our economy,” Magee told the Journal.
An Apple spokesperson has denied any such threat was made. “We always operate with the highest standards of integrity, and allegations that we have not in this instance are false,” the Apple spokesman told the newspaper.
Recently, Apple reportedly influenced the defeat of another proposed Louisiana bill requiring smartphone users to verify their age. Earlier this year, state legislator Kim Carver told The Wall Street Journal that Apple lobbyists inundated him with “panicked” text messages when they learned his intention to include the age verification provision in a bill to protect children from social media and tech risks.
Louisiana was among the first states to attempt to mandate age verification for Apple device users. Child safety advocates argued that Apple and Google, as the dominant smartphone operating system providers, are best positioned to protect children through age verification.
Companies like Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) and Match Group supported this stance, arguing that app developers should not bear this responsibility alone.
“Rather than putting the onus on parents to upload sensitive information or provide proof of identity for their teen’s age for every single app their children use, app stores can provide a central place for families to do this,” a Meta spokesperson told the Journal.
A representative for Match Group, whose portfolio of companies includes Tinder and Bumble, agreed, telling the Journal: “Kids are less safe when responsibility is limited only to developers.”
Carver’s proposal included substantial fines for companies failing to make “reasonable efforts” to verify users’ ages. Apple strongly opposed the legislation, accusing Carver of incorporating a “poison pill from Meta.”
Carver reported being inundated with messages from Apple lobbyists “all day, every day.”
“At that point, I was like, ‘OK, we’re done talking,’” Carver told the Journal. “We had the bill pass unanimously on the house floor [without the provision that would have obligated Apple].”
