The European DMA is emulated. Japan is preparing its own legislation on digital markets, with Apple and Google in its sights. Both companies will have to allow the installation of alternative app stores and accept third-party payment systems, among other obligations.
The Japanese government is preparing new legislation aimed at limiting abuse of dominant position by digital giants in four areas: mobile application stores and in-app payment systems; the research ; web browsers; operating systems. Apple and Google are the first to be targeted.
Heavy fine for recalcitrants
This regulation, which will be in the hands of the Japanese Parliament later next year, will allow the country's competition authority to impose fines of up to 6% of the turnover of repeat offender companies. . Details will be known in the spring.
Among the measures envisaged by this future law, we find some of Apple's fears: alternative app stores and third-party payment systems, which can be used as long as they are secure and protect confidentiality. All this should also be possible in the European Union from the beginning of March, under the implementation of the provisions of the DMA.
Apple is taking the lead: it is rumored that localization mechanisms will enable sideloading (installation of apps outside the App Store) depending on national legislation. The EU at the beginning of March, Japan later in 2024… Other countries could follow.
Google is also affected by these measures (even if Android is more permissive than iOS), moreover the group lost the lawsuit brought by Epic Games in the United States concerning the practices of the Play Store. In Japan, the company will also have to deal with the ban on favoring its own services in the search engine. For example, highlighting your flight booking or shopping tools in search results.
Source :
Nikkei