According to a new report from Nikkei Asia, the Government of Japan is preparing regulations that will require technology companies like Apple and Google to allow third-party application stores on their mobile operating systems, such as Android and iOS. The government is planning to send this legislation to the parliament in 2024.
The publication claims that the government is planning to bring this regulation to stop big technology companies from abusing their dominant position in the Japanese market by shutting out rivals. Reportedly, the upcoming regulations in Japan will focus on four areas: App stores, payments, search, and browsers.
The upcoming legislation is expected to be based on the existing antitrust laws in the country. In that case, if Apple and Google don’t comply with the upcoming regulations, these companies will be charged 6% of their annual revenue from the platforms that are breaking the law. Reportedly, the details will be “worked out this spring.”
Many countries are against Apple's and Google's policies
Apple doesn’t allow third-party app stores on its platforms. It also doesn’t let developers use their billing systems. Google, on the other hand, allows third-party app stores on its platforms but just like Apple, it doesn’t let developers use their payment methods. The general belief is that these policies create monopolies in the market. Therefore, government agencies in many countries have lately been scrutinizing such practices and planning to bring regulations to stop these companies from doing so.
