Japan is debating antitrust legislation in its parliament that would require dominant platforms like Apple and Google to allow third-party app stores.
This move mirrors Europe’s Digital Markets Act, which already mandates similar changes across 27 countries.
The proposed Japanese law, submitted by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration, targets market dominance and seeks to prevent anti-competitive practices.
If passed, the law will oblige tech giants to support third-party app stores and offer more payment options, while prohibiting preferential treatment for their own products. The bill is expected to pass by the end of June.
Japanese developers anticipate that increased competition among app stores will enable them to retain more revenue from their apps and potentially offer lower prices to consumers.
