As if the European Union wasn't enough, Japan is reportedly planning to enforce antitrust laws requiring Apple to allow side charging on its iPhones and iPads.
EU says Apple violated DMA rules
Under the Digital Markets Act passed in the EU, Apple has until March 2024 to allow users in Europe to install iOS apps outside of the App Store. Although Apple has not yet responded to the passed law, it is believed that other countries around the world will follow suit; with this news, Japan is first.
According to a report in Nikkei Asia on Tuesday, Japan's regulatory body is said to be preparing an antitrust regulation that would require Apple and Google to allow users to download apps from sources outside the boundaries of the official App Store and Play Store, along with an alternative payment method for the apps. This means that iPhone and iPad users in Japan may soon have the freedom to access and install third-party apps, breaking away from Apple's tightly controlled ecosystem.
The legislation will likely be presented to the Riksdag during the next year. It focuses on four areas: app stores and payments, search, browser and operating system. If approved, it is expected that the Japan Fair Trade Commission will be able to impose penalties on companies that violate the new law. The details will be announced by the spring of 2024. The Nikkei reports that the Trade Commission can impose penalties of up to 6% of revenue from misconduct.
