Japan moves closer to requiring third-party app stores
The Japanese Fair Trade Commission is planning a raft of proposals that would emulate Europe's App Store regulations regarding Big Tech firms such as Apple and Google.
An Apple Store in Japan
It may now be consulting with the public, but Japan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) expects to begin enforcing its Big Tech regulations from December 18, 2025. The consultation comes after the plans were passed by Japan's House of Representatives and House of Councillors in 2024.
The country's FTC has issued what its announcement calls draft subordinate legislations. They are all part of Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act, and a summary document shows that the new law says Apple and Google must:
- Allow third-party app stores
- Allow alternative payment
- Not favor their own apps or services
- Allow users to choose their default apps
- Enable users to freely move between apps and platforms
- Allow developers to utilize the same OS functions as Apple and Google
The provision about not favoring their own apps and services extends to the "unjust use of acquired data." Apple and Google must not benefit from user data that they gather that is not then made available to third-party developers.
Throughout the new consultation document, the FTC recognizes that there can be security and privacy issues that affect how -- or if -- data can be shared. It also repeatedly acknowledges the difficulty of proving compliance.
Consequently, the new documentation also requires Apple and Google to create systems for disclosing regulatory details. And then to disclose the details of those systems to the FTC.
In theory, the proposed guidelines for Big Tech companies could be extended to cover many such firms. But for now Japan's FTC is singling out three of what it calls Specified Software Operators
- Apple
- iTunes KK
That second one, iTunes KK, is a Japanese subsidiary of Apple, based in Tokyo. It's responsible for running the Japanese versions of the App Store and other Apple media.
Japan's FTC requires interested members of the public to submit opinions -- solely in Japanese -- by the end of June 13. A finalized set of guidelines is expected to be issued before the end of July.
Apple has not commented since the release of the FTC's consultation document. However, during the FTC's investigations, Apple did defend its App Store rules, insisting that they were fair and transparent.
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Comments
Maybe video game consoles should similarly be more open as well (there are reasonable arguments for that), but there is a viable alternative for purchasing console video games already. Not only is physical media a viable alternative, but it’s the only method I use for purchasing console video games (for those games that have an option between physical or digital).
Eventually (presumably) video game consoles will go fully to digital-only purchases (with no hardware capability to even play physical media). But that hasn’t happened yet. The upcoming Switch 2, for example, will still have a slot for actual physical cartridges.