A heavyweight crew of app makersMeta Platforms META, Spotify SPOT, Match Group MTCH, and Snap SNAPjust kicked off a major lobbying campaign that could reshape the mobile tech landscape. With new age-verification laws gaining traction in the U.S., these companies are calling out Apple AAPL and Alphabet GOOG, arguing theynot the appsshould bear the cost and risk of verifying minors. This isnt just about compliance headaches. Its a calculated offensive to force a long-overdue shift in who controls the rules of the mobile ecosystem.

The newly-formed Coalition for a Competitive Mobile Experience isnt mincing words. Theyre accusing the Apple-Google duopoly of stacking the deckmaking life harder for rival apps, devices, and services. Garmin GRMN has joined the coalition, aiming to ensure its devices work seamlessly with Apple and Google platforms. With backing from antitrust lawyers whove worked alongside the DOJ and FTC, the coalition is now pressing lawmakers and regulators to bring heatsupporting ongoing federal cases and pushing for legislation that could force both platforms to open up.

What happens next could ripple far beyond smartphones. If regulators shift the responsibility for age-gating and tighten rules on app store conduct, Apple and Google could face real revenue pressureand app makers may finally get the room they need to compete on a more level playing field. For investors, this isnt just legal noiseits a real-time power shift that could influence platform profits, app monetization models, and the next chapter of digital innovation.